Once Upon A Time
by Chocoholic221B
Summary: Fairytale AU one-shots. Requests are loved. Story: Aladdin retelling (sorta). KuroKura. Fem!Kura. Kurapika is fed up with palace life and perverted suitors and decides to check out the surrounding town. She eventually meets a charming young man who swiftly takes her under his wing. But is he friend or foe?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter.

 **Rating: T for swearing, an inappropriate Chrollo, and some implications of torture (he gets better though). Nothing a Hunter x Hunter fan can't handle.**

 **Pairings: KuroKura and KilluGon**

 **Ages: Killua and Gon are eighteen, Kurapika is twenty (and a half), Leorio is twenty-one, Chrollo is twenty-six, Hisoka is twenty-eight, Illumi is twenty-four. Hope you enjoy this one-shot.**

 **Igonia and the Glass Slipper:**

Igonia smiled. She usually smiled. To be honest, it was a miracle to see anything other than blatant happiness on her radiant face. Her generally positive attitude was even more of a mystery considering her circumstances. What circumstances, you ask?

"Igonia!" Those circumstances. Igonia's guardian, an extravagant woman in her mid-thirties, also happened to be the girl's current oppressor. Her aunt had fallen ill a few years prior and had been bed-ridden ever since. Igonia had consequently been sent to Miss Penelope, and her happy life changed forever. Not that it was any less happy. Igonia didn't seem to mind it. After all, she'd found two new friends in Miss Penelope's other wards, Komugi and Shizuku.

Igonia reached the dining room where her family sat. Komugi looked somber as usual. The white-haired gungi player didn't like the way Miss Penelope treated Igonia and often went out of her way to help the other girl. Miss Penelope usually ignored Komugi so her verbal efforts often fell on deaf ears. Shizuku was emotionless as usual. Sweet-voiced and timid as she may be, there was something about Shizuku that made her appear rather dangerous.

"Clean up the table, will you, darling?" the woman said. She always liked tacking on a darling at the end. Igonia wasn't sure why, but she didn't mind that much. "And afterward, why don't you go out into town and by some pasta. We're out again."

Igonia beamed, and her guardian frowned. The amber-eyed girl loved grocery shopping. She loved going out to town in general. "'Kay, Miss Penny!"

"It's Penelope!"the woman yelled, but Igonia had already flurried away to the kitchen. No, Igonia certainly wasn't a damsel in distress. She was grateful that she had a roof over her head and considered the work she did her way of paying back Miss Penny. Mito-san always told her not to accept charity from anyone. Sure, food was sometimes scarce and her room often a victim of the weather, but Igonia didn't mind because she could always make more food and add more blankets. Yeah, Igonia could always find a way out of a bad situation.

"Hello, Gon!" one of the shopkeepers yelled while waving at her happily. Gon waved back cheerfully. She walked a little further down the cobblestone sidewalk when something caught her eye. A flicker of silver and white in between the greenery. Her curiosity instantly got the best of her.

She ran after it. Or rather, him, as she would find out mere minutes later. A young man around her age with silver hair crouching down behind a bush. He was dressed in regular clothing and a dark cloak. It sort of looked out of place on him. Like he didn't usually wear clothes like that.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking over his shoulder to get a better guess at whatever had captured the boy's attention. She didn't see anything of particular interest. Though she admitted that the picture in one of the store windows was quite pretty.

The boy's had suddenly twisted around to face her. His next movements were so quick, she barely had time to do anything but let out a strangled yelp. Next thing she knew, she found herself sitting on the ground with a strong arm wrapped around her waist and another clamped over her mouth.

"Don't move," the boy whispered in her ear. Gon nodded without hesitation. She wasn't scared of him, of course. She thought the silver-haired boy looked like a nice person, but she also heard the urgency in his voice. The green-haired girl wasn't stupid, she could tell this was important.

A few minutes later of being way too close to each other, the young man finally let her go.

"Sorry about that," he said, relief flooding his voice. "I just had to make sure they didn't see me."

"Who?" she asked. The boy looked at her, surprised. Gon wondered why. She hadn't asked anything particularly surprising, did she?

"Aren't you going to run away?" he spoke. His cerulean eyes fixed her with a thoughtful gaze.

"Why would I do that?"

The silver-haired boy looked like he was about to answer but then decided against it.

"Whatever," he finally settled. The man picked himself up and started walking away. Gon followed him.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Name's Killua," he answered, surprisingly quickly at that.

"Gon."

"Gon," he said slowly as if he wanted to savor the way it felt on his tongue. "That's a weird name."

"It's short for Igonia," she supplied, helpfully.

"Still weird," he shrugged.

"Killua," a serene voice suddenly spoke. The two of them turned around to see a blonde man leaning against a tree. Pretty: The only word Igonia could conjure up off the top of her head to describe him. He had chin-length golden hair and a delicate, pale face. She couldn't see his eyes, but she was sure they were pretty too.

"What?" Killua asked, nonchalantly. He seemed familiar with the blonde.

"You really should be going back," the man chided, his eyes still closed.

"Nah, I'm good," Killua answered, smirking. Kurapika finally opened his eyes: Chocolate brown and incredibly pretty.

"Then," he started, walking over and plopping down beside Gon, "I suppose I should join you."

Killua's smirk grew into a mischievous grin. "So, _he's_ here."

Kurapika grimaced at his tone. "I thought we agreed never to bring _him_ up again."

"Him?" Igonia asked, looking thoroughly confused. She fixed her amber eyes on Killua, waiting for him to answer. Killua was only too happy to oblige.

"His lover," he said. "Though he's too shy to admit it."

"There is nothing to admit," Kurapika hissed, venomously. "He's the one who keeps following me around everywhere."

"But if he weren't here, you'd miss him," Killua teased.

"Killua Zoldyck, I would appreciate it if you dropped this subject now," Kurapika warned, glaring at him. Gon shrunk back a little. His glare sent chills down her spine, and it wasn't even directed at her.

"He'd totally miss him," Killua whispered in Gon's ear, his warm breath brushing it. Gon felt her face redden just a tad. They really were too close.

"Miss who?" a baritone voice suddenly asked. Kurapika's eyes widened a fraction, and Gon thought that if he could dig a hole and bury himself in it he would've done it right then and there. But he didn't, instead, he simply sunk in his position a little. He sent another glare at Killua, a murderous one, and the younger boy simply smiled innocently.

"Kurapika thinks you look nice in that suit you're wearing," Killua commented, his grin had now turned positively evil.

"Oh?" the man asked, smirking. He then waltzed around the plant and kneeled down beside the blonde, who now looked close to dying of embarrassment. Then he leaned in to whisper something in his ear. A very long something that made the brown-eyed beauty blush more with each word. Gon was pretty sure she didn't want to know what he had said.

When he finally stopped whispering, Kurapika covered his eyes with on hand and shook his head, as if to shake off the man's words. The said man just smiled at him, fondly. Gon guessed that he really did love Kurapika.

"Get a room!" Killua suddenly yelled, jokingly.

"A fantastic idea, Kil," the man said, and then offered his hand to the blonde. "Shall we?"

Kurapika slapped his hand away, still covering his eyes and blushing furiously. The man chuckled.

"Dammit, Chrollo," he whispered. "Can't you go one second without making things weird?"

"We should leave," Killua said, grabbing Gon by the hand and dragging her off. Kurapika was about to yell for them not to go, but Chrollo cut him off with a chaste kiss.

Gon took one glance behind her. It didn't look like Kurapika hated him. Strange, why would anyone try to make someone they loved feel differently?

"Sorry," Killua spoke. "I dragged you out of there without asking."

"It's okay," Gon smiled. He was thoughtful, too. Despite making fun of her name.

"Trust me, though, when I say you don't want to be there when they start really flirting," he informed, and Gon got the feeling that he had been there once when they "really" started flirting. She did wonder what he meant by "really flirting", but decided it didn't truly matter.

"Wow." Gon took in her surroundings with amazement. They had walked into a circular clearing in the woods they had previously been walking about. Wildflowers dotted the ground and the sunlight caressed her. The wind blew across the field gently, and the flowers swayed to the rhythm,

"What? Never seen a clearing before?" Killua asked. He sounded so curious that Gon had to turn towards him.

"I just thought it was pretty," she explained, smiling. Killua looked even more confused.

"So?"

Gon tipped her head to the side, her ponytail spilling over her shoulder. She was confused now too. Mito-san always told her she should show her appreciation for everything life gave her.

The amber-eyed girl tried explaining this to Killua, but he didn't seem to believe the same. Perhaps, she should take him to Mito-san. Surely, she would be able to explain it better.

"It's all going to die eventually, anyway," Killua had said when he countered Gon's statement. Gon still didn't buy it. If something was going to die soon, didn't it make more sense to try to spend as much time enjoying it as possible?

"Kil," a voice suddenly spoke. They both turned to see a man with long dark hair staring at them with those black holes he called eyes. "It's time to go."

"Yeah, yeah," Killua brushed him off, "give me a minute."

"Very well." The man sat down and started counting to sixty.

"I have to go now," Killua explained, "but let's meet up again soon, okay?"

Gon beamed. She couldn't wait to see her new friend again, and he hadn't even left yet. She had a feeling they'd be great friends.

"Okay!"

* * *

Killua followed his brother out of the forest silently. There was no use fighting him. It was easier to just sneak out of the house without anyone's knowledge than to directly confront them.

"You should stop sneaking out alone, Kil," his brother scolded, monotonously. "Take someone qualified with you next time."

"I did," Killua defended. "Kurapika went with me."

"The Kurta is not what I consider qualified. He is a servant, not a guard," Illumi continued. Kurapika had been working with them for the last five years. Ever since his family was murdered by a group of renegade bandits. The boy had been found by Chrollo, who'd quickly developed a certain fondness - what Illumi considered an obsession, really - for the young blonde. Killua was aware that his brother wasn't fond of his friend. Thankfully, his father turned out to be quite amiable towards Kurapika.

"He can hold his own in a fight," Killua said. He, as usual, would not go down without a fight.

"Yes, but he can't protect himself and you," Illumi explained.

Killua's anger suddenly reared its ugly head. "I can hold my own in a fight as well. I'm the best fighter in our family!"

"The most promising. Not the best. Not yet," Illumi talked him down. "And if you truly wish to be the best, then you will continue training instead of sneaking off."

Killua rolled his eyes. Why was he wasting his time talking to his blasted brother, anyway? He was immovable.

"That girl," Illumi started again, breaking the tense silence that had fallen upon them.

"Leave her out of this," Killua muttered. He wasn't sure why he felt so protective of the girl. He just knew he didn't want his family anywhere near her, especially Illumi. For once, he wanted to have this one thing for himself. This . . . friendship? Alliance? Acquaintanceship? Whatever it was.

"I will. I just wanted to make sure she wasn't your friend," Illumi stated. "Because Zoldycks don't -"

"Have friends. Man, you're like a broken record," Killua complained.

"I say this because it's true. We even gave you Kurapika. That's the only friend you can have," Illumi said. Killua nearly scoffed. The only reason Illumi let Kurapika befriend him was that Chrollo would kill him if he so much as showed signs of planning to threaten the Kurta. The man could be bloody terrifying sometimes.

"I'm going inside already," Killua said, as he crossed the last stretch of lawn between the immaculate marble steps and him. He didn't like his brother. His possessive nature, his need for control. He tried to get out of his reach, but it was like a string had been attached to him. As if he was just a marionette. A puppet. Someday, he would cut those strings.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Kurapika asked as Killua all but stormed in. The Kurta had been placing some fresh clothes in the closet when his master had come raging in.

"I'm fine," Killua said, slowly, not wanting to snap at his only friend.

"How'd it go with that pretty girl from the forest?" The blonde decided to start up a conversation to distract the boy.

"Pretty?" Killua repeated. Pretty wasn't the word he'd use to describe her.

"Well, you have to admit she was attractive. Not my type, but still quite beautiful," Kurapika continued, still filling the closet with countless forms of apparel. Killua had a lot of clothes.

Beauty. Gon had been pretty clear about the fact that she believed he had no sense of what was beautiful. She was, though. He'd noticed that. Not extravagantly gorgeous, or a beauty to put all others to shame. It was warm, though. Warm and cheerful and everything he'd known about but never felt.

Killua smirked when he recalled that Kurapika had been the one to bring up the subject. "Don't let Chrollo hear you say that. He might get jealous. Don't you remember the last time?"

Kurapika sighed. He remembered alright. It was trying to forget that was the problem. The poor man was in the hospital for a week. He'd mistaken him for a woman and flirted with him rather blatantly. The next thing he knew he was being tossed across the room and into the opposite wall. Sure, Kurapika hadn't appreciated the unwanted attention, but he still felt guilty for what had happened. Good thing Leorio was there to get the man some immediate care.

"I still can't believe he did that," he murmured. Killua almost felt some pity for him. Then he remembered that Kurapika's had his own bouts of jealousy, though he'd grown out of it over time. At age twenty and a half, the man seemed completely certain of Chrollo's affections for him. He no longer had anything to be jealous of. Just one more reason for the Kurta to keep running away from the older man.

"I'm sneaking out again tomorrow," Killua announced. Kurapika just nodded, as he switched to hanging things up on hangers.

"I'll accompany you," Kurapika reassured. "We can drag Leorio along as well. He needs a break from his studies."

"Even though Chrollo might show up again?" Killua asked. As much as he enjoyed teasing Kurapika about it, Killua understood the blonde's aversion to the man. Not to mention that Leorio had something against him as well.

"Just don't leave this time."

Killua smirked but nodded nonetheless. He'll just have to make sure that at least one of them was around Kurapika at all times.

* * *

The next day, Igonia walked into town with a little more skip to her step than usual. She had finally managed to get away from all her chores and decided this would be the perfect time to go out and find her new friends. The clock rang twelve in the afternoon, just like yesterday. And just like yesterday, she caught a sliver of silver in the bushes just off the beaten path. Except this time, the silver didn't move.

"Good morning, Killua," she chirped, as she sat down beside him behind the bushes.

"Afternoon, technically," he said, smirking, as he got up from his sleeping position. "You have something on your cheek."

Gon reached up to touch her cheek. A little bit of gray ash was left on the tips of her fingers. "Oh. I slept by the fireplace today. It got a bit cold in my room, but it's always warm by the fireplace. I guess some of the ashes must've rubbed off on me." The girl simply chuckled nervously, as she scratched the back of her head. Killua was less than amused.

"Why is it so cold in your room," Killua asked, curiously, cerulean eyes questioning her, prodding her for the truth. There was no need to prod.

"I sleep in the attic because all the other rooms are taken by everyone else. So when it gets cold in my room, I sleep by the fireplace. Sometimes, Komugi will even let me stay with her, but I don't like to bother her with that sort of stuff."

Killua's frown deepened with every word. Was it even healthy to sleep by the fireplace all night? He'd have to ask Kurapika. He wondered where they were anyway. Leorio had carried him off to some pizza place he hadn't been at for too long. Perhaps, he shouldn't have made them go alone. Leorio wasn't much of a match for a persistent Chrollo.

"Wow, look at that!" Gon exclaimed in amazement as she watched some street performer do card tricks.

Eh, Kurapika would live. Killua was sorta busy at the moment.

* * *

A few hours later, Kurapika found him. A little red in the face and clenching a pizza box to his chest. Guess Chrollo got to the blonde in the end.

Leorio was walking behind him, looking much like a security guard. His eyes danced around the surroundings critically, waiting to protect his best friend from the clutches of a vicious demon.

"What did he do this time?" Killua wasn't really sure if he wanted to know.

"He kissed him!" Leorio yelled, furiously. His face was red as well, though for a different reason. "Just came up without warning and bam! And then left! Left! Next time I see that jerk I'm really gonna kill him!"

"Calm down, Leorio," Kurapika chided. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Fine! You should've seen your face!" Leorio continued yelling. Kurapika thanked the gods that they were out in the middle of the forest where no one could hear Leorio's screams.

Killua watched the display before him, then realized that a warm presence was now gone from his side.

"Why are you fighting?" an inquisitive voice suddenly asked. Gon was looking up at Leorio with curious amber eyes.

Leorio seemed glad somebody finally asked.

"Because! HE!" The man pointed at Kurapika, who crossed his arms defensively. "Keeps letting that PERV off the hook!"

"He's not that bad," Kurapika, surprisingly, defended the man.

"You're the one who's always complaining about him!" Leorio accused.

Killua sighed. Man, was he glad he didn't have any problems with love.

"Kurapika, why are you always complaining about him?" Gon asked, innocently. Killua fought the urge to laugh. The girl sure knew how to ask the right questions without appearing nosy.

"Because I hate him," Kurapika answered.

"Why would you defend someone you hate?" Gon continued, eyes still glowing with curiosity.

This one took Kurapika a bit longer to answer. "Because I owe him a great debt."

"Debt?" Gon asked. "Like money?"

Leorio and Killua suddenly burst into very loud peals of laughter. Even Kurapika had to stifle a chuckle. He looked down at the girl with a warm smile.

"Not exactly. You see, a long time ago, Chrollo saved my life. I owe him for that," Kurapika explained, gently.

Gon's eyes lit up in realization, her mouth opening into an "o" as the truth finally hit her in the face. But there was one more question plaguing her mind.

"Then why do you hate him?"

Kurapika searched for the answer for a few seconds. "He just rubbed me the wrong way. I can't help but feel there's more to our story."

"Marriage?" Killua teased. Kurapika and Leorio both tossed him two fiery glares.

"Before we met, is what I meant," Kurapika elaborated.

"Why don't you just ask him then?" Gon asked. Killua looked at her. She clearly didn't understand how difficult it was to get a straight answer from the man. Poor Kurapika could ask him the same question for the next hundred years, and the man would still know how to throw him off his scent, whatever that scent may be.

"I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that," Kurapika answered. Gon looked at him, confused. Mito-san always said that if you needed to know something, then you should just ask the person.

She really should visit Mito-san soon.

The bell rang thrice. Oh dear, Miss Penelope would be worried.

"I have to leave." The girl got to her feet and thanked her new friends for a great time.

* * *

"Where were you?" Miss Penelope asked. The woman had her skinny arms crossed over chest. She gazed at the girl expectantly, suspiciously.

"I was meeting up with some friends," Gon answered, rubbing her neck in embarrassment. "I guess I must've lost track of time. It won't happen again, Miss Penny."

"IT'S PENELOPE to you, young lady!" her guardian corrected for the nth time. "And let us hope it doesn't. Now, there's a list waiting for you down in the kitchen. Follow it to the last word, understood?"

"Yes, Miss Penny," Gon said, enthusiastically. Only Gon could be enthusiastic about doing chores.

"It's . . . never mind, just get to work," Miss Penelope said, defeated.

"Yes, Miss Penny," Igonia chirped and walked off to the kitchen.

"That girl will be the death of me," Miss Penelope muttered. Indeed, even she couldn't bring herself to be completely indifferent to the sunny copper-skinned teen.

* * *

Gon hummed to herself as she finished wiping the last of the rinsed dishes dry. A ruckus sounded from behind her, and she recognized the little pink and white blob as Komugi.

"Komugi! Are you alright." Gon quickly washed her hands and fell to her knees next to the fallen girl.

"Y-yes, I just tripped on the stairs. It's alright, I'm used to it. I'm just a clumsy idiot, that's all. You don't need to worry," Komugi said, smiling slightly, tears forming in her eyes. Gon frowned. She didn't like it when Komugi talked herself down.

"Your knee has a scrape on it. Let's take care of that, okay?"

Komugi nodded shakily. Gon gave her a warm smile, though she knew the girl couldn't see her. She walked over to a cabinet with some antiseptic and cotton balls.

"You went into town the other day, right, Komugi?" Gon asked as she spread the antiseptic over the wound. "I'm sorry I couldn't come see your Gungi match."

"It was the same as always," Komugi said, sniffling slightly.

"You won again, right?" Gon smiled, eagerly. "You're so good at that, Komugi."

"It's the only thing I'm good at. I want to be the best in at least that," Komugi said, determinedly.

"Don't say that Komugi," Gon said, patting her head. "You're good at lots of things!"

"Like?"

"Well." Gon thought for a minute. "You're super nice to everyone and try to help anyone in need. I think that's a great thing to have!"

"I hope that someday," Komugi whispered, looking down at an open palm, almost as if afraid to voice her thoughts. "I can help someone else with this talent."

Gon smiled, shaking her head. "You already are helping someone. You're helping us, remember? After Miss Penny's business collapsed last year, your gungi wins kept us afloat."

"A real difference," Komugi continued to whisper, staring at her pale hand, though Gon knew she couldn't see it. The dark-skinned girl took her small, shaky hand in both of hers.

"Then you will," she said, confidently. "If you want it so much, then I'm sure you'll do it!"

Komugi stared at her with unseeing eyes, but there was a spark in those eyes. She nodded firmly: A promise that she'd do her best.

The other girl squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"And I'll be right there beside you when that happens."

* * *

They walked through the town together, Gon chatting as Komugi listened politely. The green-haired girl suddenly gasped.

"I need you to meet someone."

Before she had time to react, Gon had already started dragging poor Komugi to Killua's hiding spot.

"Killua."

A white head of hair shifted to look at them. His face broke into a playful grin.

"'Sup, Gon," he said, getting up and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I wanted to introduce you to Komugi, she's practically like my little sister. Though, I guess you're actually older than me," Gon said with a thoughtful expression.

"Hello," Komugi said, staring straight through Killua and offering a hand.

"Hi." Killua reached out to shake her hand but was surprised when she started tracing it. Gon smiled, so he guessed this was normal.

"Darkness," Komugi whispered. "It's like there's blood on your hands. Have you ever killed someone before, Mr. Killua?"

Killua briskly withdrew his hand as if he'd been shocked. "No. Why?"

"Just a feeling," Komugi said, a bit of remorse making its way into her voice. "It's hard to explain.

"Komugi can tell what a person is like just by touching their palms," Gon said, ruffling the younger girl's hair, completely brushing over the entire killing part of the prediction. "Pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah," Killua said, still a bit on edge. "Yeah, I guess."

"Is Kurapika with you today, Killua?" Gon asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm? Oh, nah, he went on a trip to see some canyons in the West. He'll be back sometime next week."

"I hope he has fun. Did he go with someone?" Gon asked.

"Nah, he wanted to go alone for 'personal reasons'. Even Chrollo stood down and let him go. You know it's serious when even Chrollo backs off," Killua explained.

"Is it safe to go all alone?" Gon asked, worriedly. She remembered all the stories of how lone travelers were kidnapped, killed, tortured on the road.

"Kurapika's strong enough to take care of himself," Killua reassured.

Gon certainly hoped so.

A scream suddenly pierced the air, right before being cruelly cut off. Gon and Killua exchanged one look, Killua silently praying she wouldn't run off into danger. His prayers were not answered.

"Killua, stay with Komugi!" Gon said, already breaking into a sprint.

"What? I'm not letting you go alone!" Killua yelled after her. He glanced at the white-haired girl. She seemed able to take care of herself for the few minutes he needed to drag the idiot back.

But Gon had told him to watch her.

He watched her fade from view. Sh*t.

"Tsk. Stay here!" he ordered, the girl jumped a little but nodded nonetheless.

He ran after her, and before long he'd reached her. The silver-haired boy pulled her back before she could leave the sanctuary of the forest. They found themselves hidden by some closely packed trees.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising her voice for the first time since they'd met.

"You can't just go in there without thinking," he hissed. They were still out of sight, thank god. What had happened was also out of their line of vision. All he felt was a dark, dangerous aura. The type that knocked the air out of your lungs.

He heard panicky footsteps run towards them. What a familiar sound. The sound of someone running for their lives. He turned his head to take a glance at the situation. Perhaps, it wasn't as drastic as it appeared.

A young child ran past them, and for a moment it seemed he might be able to get away from whatever was chasing him, but then some tail-like _thing_ shot at him and his head was severed from his body.

Killua ripped his eyes away from the scene and glanced back at Gon. Or, at least, where Gon should've been. Panic rose in him as he wildly searched for his friend. Dammit, Gon. There. She was turning the corner, straight into danger.

The boy's muscles froze up.

 _Never go into a battle you might not win._

But Gon -

 _Never._

He had to make sure she wouldn't -

 _Never._

Get killed.

"Stop!" he heard her yell. His breathing became even shallower than before. She was going to put herself right on their guillotine. He ran a trembling hand through his messy hair as he heard her chastise them, expecting every word to be her last.

His hands curled into fists, nails digging in so hard that warm blood dripped down his freezing, pale fingers. Then he heard her scream, and the coward within him vanished, replaced by a brave fool. A brave fool like Gon.

Illumi was gonna be p*ssed.

Okay, he didn't completely run into the battlefield. He just got a little closer. What? He wasn't about to become a complete idiot.

There were four of them. He wasn't sure what they were, exactly. One of them looked like a cat, complete with ears and a tail. Another had butterfly wings and antennas. He wasn't sure what the other two were supposed to be though. He didn't have time to ponder either because all his attention was on Gon. The girl was currently being held captive by the cat thing, who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying itself. Gon didn't even break a sweat. She was too busy glaring at her captors.

The green one stared at her with something akin to boredom. He was powerful, Killua noted, the most powerful of all his comrades. That made him the leader.

He swished his tail around once and then sent it flying towards Gon.

"Wait," another, much less abrasive voice called out. Komugi, out of breath and red in the face, came running towards them. And tripping half the time, because she had left her cane behind. "Please."

She almost ran past the green turtle, but he stopped her before she could get far. He put her back on her feet in front of him, but she fell to her knees anyway. Killua watched as what could only be called a miracle appeared before him.

"Who are you, girl?" the leader asked.

"K-Komugi," she stammered. "I-I'm a-a G-gungi p-p-player."

The creature tilted his head to the side in confusion, "What is this G-gungi you speak off?"

"I believe," the catgirl interrupted, "it to be a game of some sort, your highness."

"A game?" the creature asked, clearly intrigued

"Indeed, it is said to be quite difficult to develop the skills necessary to play it." the catgirl continued, her grip on Gon still as harsh as ever.

"Difficult?" the green one repeated, eyes glowing at the challenge. He then turned back to Komugi. "You, girl. You know how to play this G-gungi well?"

Komugi nodded so fast that her head seemed to melt into one swift motion/

"How well?"

"I-I-I've -"

"Stop stuttering."

"I-I-I'm v-v-v-very s-s-sorry," she stuttered.

"Continue."

"Y-y-yes, sir. I've won the past five ch-ch-championships," she said, and Killua could practically hear the tears in her voice.

"Is that good, Pitou?" the man asked, turning to the catgirl this time.

"Yes, your highness. Very good," Pitou responded, tail swishing around cheerfully.

"I see," the creature turned back to Komugi. "I've decided. You shall show me how to play this G-gungi."

Komugi stared up at him with wide, fearful eyes. "What? Me? Well," the girl glanced back to Pitou and Gon, "on one condition."

The creature's stinger aimed at her throat. "You are in no position to make requests, woman."

Komugi's trembling returned full force and tears welled up in her eyes, but she clenched the fabric of the dress and forced the tears down and gave one firm nod. "Yes. I want you to let Gon go."

"Gon?" he asked, quizzically.

"The girl who was yelling at you," she said, voice surprisingly level. Killua had to give her props for that.

"Oh," the creature said, pondering her request. "Alright."

"But your highness!" the butterfly man exclaimed. Pitou had already released Gon however, and the green-haired girl crossed the short distance between her and Komugi.

"Komugi, you can't go with them," she tried to reason, but the girl only shook her head.

"This is my difference, Gon," Komugi smiled, tearfully. "I guess you were right. You would be standing with me when it happened."

"Komugi," Gon whispered as she searched her mind for a way out, a way to convince the girl this didn't need to be the way this ended.

"I have one more request," Komugi added, turning in the general direction of the crazy green ninja turtle.

"Know your limits, human," he warned, glaring at the young girl.

"Leave the rest of the town alone?" Komugi queried. The leader went back into that pondering state.

"Alright."

"Your highness!" the butterfly man repeated.

"Really?" Komugi said, hopefully, eyes shining with delight. And then, she fell to the ground, asleep. This experience must've been tiring for her.

The creature bent to pick up the sleeping girl. Gon tried to intervene, but Pitou held her back again. The catgirl giggled at her expression.

"You look absolutely helpless," she laughed, petting her head playfully.

"Let go!"

"Patience, my pet."

Killua grit his teeth. He had to calm down, to think rationally.

The leader walked away from the scene without the slightest tinge of regret in his movements, his followers did what they did best, and soon, Pitou released Gon once more. She then got into a cat-like pose and ran after her companions.

Killua finally walked out from behind the bushes. Gon didn't even bother looking up.

"We have to go after them," she whispered. Killua sighed and sat down next to her.

"Not without a plan," the boy reasoned. He knew better than to jump into danger. They needed to figure something out, otherwise, all they'll get was their deaths at those things' hands.

"But what if we can't find them again?" Gon asked, hopelessly.

"Don't be such a downer," Killua scolded. "We'll find them again."

"How do you know?"

How come he had to come up with reasons for his high hopes while she can prance with high hopes all the time without question?

"It's just a hunch."

...

"A cat, a butterfly, and a turtle put into nearly human bodies?" Chrollo summarized their story from his spinning chair. "Never heard of it."

Gon visibly deflated, and Killua couldn't have that.

"Are you sure?" Killua asked again. "You're almost always traveling. Maybe you heard something, anything?"

Chrollo shook his head. "Sorry, Kil. I haven't the slightest idea."

He was lying. Killua could smell a lie from a mile away, and this was one.

"My family recently found a collection of priceless books. What were they called again? The Records of a Thousand-"

"Flames," Chrollo concluded, catching onto Killua's game and not really caring.

"Yeah, Kurapika told us they were pretty rare. That even the leader of an A-class guild of thieves -"

"Treasure hunters," Chrollo corrected.

"Same difference. Anyway, I have something you want and I'll give it to you in exchange for whatever information you have on these things," Killua bribed, smiling like the demon spawn he was.

"I could easily break into your mansion and steal it," Chrollo said, calmly leaning back in his chair. Killua had a reply for this one as well.

"And risk Kurapika finding out that you're back in the thieving business?" Killua asked. Indeed, Kurapika was oblivious to Chrollo's return to his less-than-legal career. Ironically, this was all due to his running away from everything that had anything to do with the man.

This time, Chrollo glared at him and Killua felt goosebumps on his arms. Obsidian eyes pierced through his soul and attempted to stop his heart, but Killua stood his ground.

"I can easily get to him before you," Chrollo said, his voice far less casual than before. Killua had crossed the line, now he just had to hope his status as Kurapika's employer/friend would be enough to keep him alive.

"Sure, you can," Killua said, cheerfully, shoving his hands in his pockets. But then his smile became devilishly playful. "But whether you like it or not, Kurapika trusts me more than you."

The glare intensified, and Killua fought the mental damage it incurred. The man was truly terrifying when angered.

"Mr. Lucilfer?" Gon came up to stand beside Killua, and the tension was immediately crushed. "If you do help us, I'm sure it would make Kurapika really happy! I'm sure he'll be grateful to you."

"Grateful?" His interest was piqued. Awesome.

Gon nodded fervently. "Oh yes, I'm sure he'll be really glad that you helped his friends! He might even let you take him out on a date!"

"Wishful thinking," Chrollo sighed, tossing his head back to gaze at the ceiling, "but you have a point. Alright then."

"Seriously?" Killua asked, incredulously.

Chrollo nodded, amusement playing on his lips, "she's convinced me. Now tell me, do you know where East Gorteau's palace is located?"

"In East Gorteau?" Gon looked at him like it was obvious. Komugi was from East Gorteau and sometimes told stories of her time there. What a coincidence.

Chrollo smirked, "it's hard to miss, anyway. I heard from some unreliable sources that the Chimera Ants had staged a little coup d'etat there."

"Chimera Ants?" Gon asked.

"That's what they're called," Chrollo explained.

"How long have you known about them?" Killua asked.

"Three months."

"And you didn't tell anyone?"

"Kurapika would've been the first one over there," Chrollo whispered, bitterly. "You know how he is with new discoveries. He's too curious for his own good."

Killua supposed that was true. The blonde was a researcher at heart, things like a new species would easily catch his interest. He might not be an idiot, but he could be rather reckless. His lover was clearly not about to take that chance. The rest of the world be damned for all he cared.

"Whatever," Killua finally said. "We're leaving. Don't tell my family."

"Don't die. Kurapika will kill me."

"Will do."

...

"Komugi!" Gon yelled as soon as she saw the pale girl walking through the beautiful garden. The girl's head whirled around at the sound of her voice.

"Gon?" she said, her timid voice as sweet as ever. Gon took her hand to let her know where she was.

"Hi." She noticed the girl wasn't harmed in the slightest. In fact, she looked better than ever. It seemed the Chimera Ants had gotten her some new clothes and, "you got a new cane."

"Huh?" The girl glanced in the direction of the ornate cane. "Oh, yes. The King didn't like the fact that I kept bumping into things."

"The King?" Gon asked.

"Komugi." A blue and red blur jumped down from . . . something. The cat girl stood before them once more, with one hand on her hip. "The King has requested you come back inside due to the storm that will be hitting in approximately three minutes."

"Can Gon and her friend come too?" Komugi asked. Pitou seemed to notice the two of them for the first time since she got there.

Her face broke into a grin. "Yes. That might be fun."

Komugi smiled widely and gripped Gon's hand, right before she started pulling her in the direction of the palace. Killua thought about letting them go alone, but in the end decided he couldn't simply let Gon go alone.

"Tsk. Women."

...

"If you'd stayed out there even a little longer, you would've been drenched!"

Killua and Gon looked on in shock as they watched Komugi be scolded by a very agitated turtle-human.

"Sorry, your highness," Komugi answered, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Well," the turtle said, "as long as you're fine."

Gon tilted her head to the side. He didn't seem like the type of person who would kill someone.

The turtle then gestured to the table.

"You must be hungry," he told her.

Komugi nodded and let him lead her to the table. He offered her a cup of hot liquid.

"Gon and Killua can come eat as well," she said, and the Chimera Ant King made no move to disagree. Gon sat down beside Komugi, and Killua could only follow.

"Wah, this is really good!" Gon said in awe, as she took her first bite of some sort of pasta.

"Isn't it?" Komugi replied, sharing the girl's excitement. "They have good food, don't they?"

Gon nodded in agreement as she stuffed her face.

"Killua, you have to try this!" Gon said as she crawled over to him on her knees. She then put the forkful of pasta in his face, as if expecting him to open up so she could shove it in his mouth.

"I'm not using your fork," Killua said, indignantly. He shouldn't have opened his mouth because Gon took this opportunity to put the food in his mouth.

"Chew," Gon commanded, and Killua realized he had no other choice but to obey.

His cerulean eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

Gon smiled at him, and Killua blushed. They were too close, and they were only getting closer. He could make out the shots of gold in her amber irises, and the slight dimples in her smile.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh."

They turned towards the source of the noise that one usually only heard in the dentist's office. The turtle man was feeding Komugi, and she was totally going along with it, enjoying it even.

Gon gave them a thoughtful expression.

"Komugi," Gon finally said. Komugi turned towards her. "We came here to take you home."

"No," the King said, decisively. Komugi only gave her a small smile.

"I like being here," she said, simply. "It makes me feel like I'm finally doing what I'm supposed to."

Gon nodded understandingly, taking her hand again. "I thought you'd say that. I'm glad that you finally found something that made you feel that way. And you," she faced the King, "you make her feel any less amazing than she is and I'll crush your skull the same way you crushed those people."

"Oi, Gon," Killua chided, "we're on his turf. This isn't the time to throw threats around."

"I'm just being a good sister, though," Gon defended, not quite understanding Killua's wariness.

The sound of sniffling soon reached them and Gon looked back to Komugi. The girl was crying now. Tears streamed down her face, and snot fell from her nose.

"I-I'm really going to miss you," she cried, and then hugged the girl in front of her as tightly as she could. Gon rubbed her back, reassuringly.

...

Killua felt the stare directed at the Gungi champion before even Gon. It was well-concealed behind a farce of cold disinterest. There was hatred in that stare though. Surprisingly, its owner was the butterfly man.

The sound of the violin he played suddenly became deafening. There was a tenseness about his playing, and as Killua watched him he figured out the reason for it: The butterfly man hated Komugi.

Should he tell the turtle man?

"Oi, Ant King," he called, as he got up. "Keep her safe."

That was warning enough. The King gave him a short nod.

"Gon, we've gotta go back," he said.

"Aw, already?" she asked, disappointed, but she withdrew her arms from around Komugi and stood up as well.

"I've been MIA for two weeks. I can practically envision the lecture Illumi will give me," Killua said, almost shivering in disgust at the thought.

Gon pouted, "alright."

"Come back to visit, okay?"

"Of course, I can't just leave you here alone forever," Gon reassured, messing up Komugi's white hair.

...

"You took that surprisingly well, Gon," Killua praised. They now sat in a first-class train back to Padokea. The seats were plenty comfortable, though the ones back home were still better.

"I'm," Gon started, as her own eyes filled with tears. He'd spoken too soon. "Really gonna miss her too!"

She threw her arms around him and burst into tears. Great, he'd just bought this shirt too.

He put one arm around her shoulders as some sort of reassuring gesture. Then, despite himself, he smiled.

"You'll see each other again soon," he murmured in her ear.

Well, now that was out of the way. Their lives could finally go back to normal.

* * *

"He still hasn't come back?" Killua asked. Gotoh shook his head somberly. Killua's lips formed a thin line.

Kurapika should've been back by the end of last week. Where could he be? Did he get sidetracked? Did he decide to stay a little longer?

No. Kurapika was way too proper for that. He'd come back to ask for a longer leave. The blonde wouldn't have let himself get sidetracked either.

There was only one other scenario left: Kurapika had gotten himself into trouble.

Oh God, did Chrollo know?

…

"Chrollo's gone?"

The young receptionist nodded, smiling all the while.

"Left four days ago with the rest of his crew. He said to hold off all other appointments until next week."

So he already went after him, huh. Well, the Phantom Troupe head was nothing if not reliable. Killua wouldn't be surprised if he'd be back with Kurapika in tow before the week was out.

Four days. He would give them three , he'd send his own reinforcements.

…

"Are you sure he'll be fine?" Gon looked so concerned, so unlike herself. He had to wipe that frown off that face. Frowns had no place near Gon.

"Yeah. Chrollo's influence is everywhere. He'll find him."

Gon didn't look convinced in the slightest. He sighed. Well, maybe this once a frown had a place near Gon. She couldn't be happy all the time.

He pulled her into a one-armed hug, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. One hand came up to comb through her dark hair, fingers tangling in the soft locks. He, oh-so-subtly, lay a soft kiss on her forehead. She probably didn't even notice, believing he had just shifted his head to be more comfortable.

"He'll be fine," he whispered again.

...

"What's with the sad face, sweetie?" a sly voice asked. Gon turned around abruptly to meet narrow, golden eyes.

"Hisoka." The red-haired clown - magician! - looked down at her with a sneaky smirk. It wasn't that he was thinking of something sneaky, though. That was just his default expression. The man took a seat next to her on the wooden bench.

"You look like you need a hug," he said, opening his arms up in case she decided to take him up on his offer. Gon smiled weakly at the offer but shook her head.

"No, thank you. I'm just worried about a friend of mine." Her smile faded again, replaced by that same somber expression Hisoka had found her in.

"The blonde one or the one with the scary face?" he asked.

"Um . . . blonde, I think," Gon answered. Hisoka guessed that most of her friends could have scary faces when they wanted to.

"Hmm, so he got himself in some trouble, did he?" Hisoka murmured, ponderously.

"We think so. He was supposed to be back from his trip a few days ago." Gon looked so heartbroken when she said those words that Hisoka almost hugged her anyway.

"I'm surprised you're still here then. You're the type to go after someone in trouble," Hisoka commented, using his arms as a pillow for his head.

"Mr. Lucilfer already went after him, and Killua said to stay here," Gon explained, remorsefully.

"Lucilfer," Hisoka asked, voice beyond excited. "Chrollo Lucilfer?"

"Yes," Gon drawled, a little uncertainly.

Hisoka started to laugh. Oh, what luck. It seemed Gon had met one of Chrollo Lucilfer's most beloved toys.

"Tell me. What's his name?" Hisoka asked.

"Oh. Kurapika."

"Kurapika." The name rolled off his tongue. It seemed familiar somehow. Had he met this Kurapika somewhere before? He couldn't recall. "Tell me Gon. Who is this Kurapika to our dear friend, Lucilfer?"

"Who is he?" Gon looked up to the sky as if she'd find the answer in the clouds. "Killua said he was his lover or something, but I'm not sure how true that is. Killua really likes teasing people, you see."

"Hmm, I think Killua and I would get along quite we-"

"You!" a voice screamed, accusingly. Hisoka turned around to meet a fuming silver-haired teen pointing at him like he was some sort of criminal. How rude ~.

"If it isn't Illumi's darling little brother, Killua ~" Hisoka cooed, smirking at the angry boy. "Isn't he adorable, Gon. Don't worry though, you're still my favorite ~."

"Ah," Gon said, uncertainly, "Thanks?"

"You're welcome!" he shouted, and he moved to hug her, only to have her be dragged away from him by an even angrier Killua.

"C'mon Gon. We don't have time for this creep."

And they were gone. And Hisoka was left alone . . . again.

Maybe he should pay Illumi a visit.

…

Killua's prediction was spot on. Three days later, a somber Chrollo returned with an unconscious, almost unrecognizable Kurapika in his arms. Killua soon realized Chrollo wasn't actually sad. No, his eyes were burning.

Chrollo was furious. Chrollo was apocalyptic. Chrollo was desperately trying not to kill everyone in sight.

His followers were there too. They actually were somber. Most of them knew Kurapika personally, and if not, at least heard the stories.

"Machi," Chrollo suddenly spoke, voice clearly struggling to keep itself level. "How much can you help?"

"I can probably heal all of the wounds completely," Machi answered obediently. "They weren't too serious, meant to hurt more than kill. Most of them will leave scars though."

"I see," Chrollo answered. "Start immediately."

She nodded, as the man finally set the Kurta down on his bed. Kurapika's. Not Chrollo's. The woman stepped closer to him, as Chrollo stepped aside and watched her work. She started on his face, and gingerly started stitching it back together. Killua noticed how all the injuries seemed to evade the boy's eyes.

They'd been after his eyes.

"I don't understand," Gon whispered from her place beside Killua. "How someone could be so cruel?"

Killua placed a hand on her shoulder, not about to tell that his family had tortured him in the past as their way of toughening him up. It never got as bad as what Kurapika probably had to injure. Those people had wanted to see his eyes. Their only objective had been to put him in enough pain to bring out that scarlet hue. They had failed. His eyes looked perfectly intact. Three weeks at most, two and a half at least, and the man didn't grace them with even a sliver of what they wanted.

That was Kurapika for you.

Once she was done with his face, the woman demanded that everyone left. Everyone except Chrollo, who was given the option to stay. He decided to leave anyway.

...

He and Gon sat side by side, separate from the rest of the occupants in the room. Chrollo stood alone in one corner of the room, looking far more ominous than Killua ever remembered him being. The rest of the Phantom Troupe members were playing cards quietly.

Only the shuffling sound of the cards seemed to strike through the deafening silence.

"Who were they?" Gon asked, voice shaking with anger Killua hadn't known she possessed. "The people who took Kurapika."

Silence followed, and then they heard Chrollo's gentle voice cut through.

"It doesn't matter. They're all dead."

Killua heard the regret loud and clear in the older man's voice. He knew it wasn't the fresh blood on his hands that he regretted. It was the fact that he'd ended their lives too quickly. He'd wanted to make them suffer but probably ended up prioritizing Kurapika's safety.

The door creaked open about fifteen minutes later, and a stoic Machi walked out.

"You can go in now," she announced. The more emotional of the Spiders and Gon all ran into the room before she could say another word. Chrollo hadn't moved from his spot, and Machi approached him once more to give him the details on Kurapika's condition.

Killua didn't go in either. He didn't feel like being in that crowd. Privacy was something he values above all else, and he'd make sure to be alone when he checked up on his manservant. After all, he deserved to know those details just as much as Chrollo.

"There was a stab wound to his stomach. It was stitched back together by some amateur," the woman explained, practically spitting out the last few words. "Wounds all over his back, arms, and legs. There are also signs of electrocution."

Killua thanked the gods that Gon had gone to see Kurapika. She'd probably be able to stomach this, but her hatred for these guys would grow. He never would've thought a sweet girl like that could ever hate something with every fiber of her being, but he'd figured that was only because she never had a good enough reason to.

This was a good enough reason to. Killua himself could feel the fury within his own soul, Not at all a match for Chrollo's rage, though. The man was silent and his face emotionless, but the cold wrath could be felt from a mile away and only seemed to increase with every word Machi spoke.

"He'll be fine physically," Machi finally reassured. "A few weeks and he'll probably be good as new. He heals at an alarmingly fast pace. Same can't be said for his mind. He was in their for a long time. There are signs of starvation and dehydration. Who knows what else went on in there."

"Thank you, Machi," Chrollo spoke, gently. "I'll keep you updated on his condition."

Machi nodded, casting one last glance to Kurapika's room before leaving. Chrollo finally moved from his position and disappeared through the doorway.

"Alright," Killua heard him say. "Everyone out."

One by one, every last visitor filed out of the room. Gon made her way back over to him, eyes dark.

"Are you okay, Gon?" Killua finally asked after a moment of tense silence. The girl nodded slightly, still too deep in her own thoughts to truly acknowledge anyone else. "Do you want to leave?"

Gon shook her head.

"He's not gonna let you back inside," he said, pointing back towards the closed wooden door.

"I don't care," Gon said, quietly. "He's my friend. I'm gonna be here for him."

They'd only known each other for a few weeks. Gon's loyalty wasn't exactly sold at a high price. It was priceless, though. She loved with all her heart. If you were lucky enough to be her friend, she'd be there until the very end.

He wished he was half as giving.

Gon sat down on the floor again and rested her head against the cold wall. Killua joined her without a word.

There they stayed for the rest of the night. Even when sleep overcame them. Even when the Spiders left. Even when the rest of the servants turned in for the night.

They stayed outside of their friend's door until dawn broke, and a very agitated young doctor ran into the corridor. Killua's opened his bleary eyes at the sound of the running footsteps and was able to catch Leorio about to storm into Kurapika's quarters.

"Chrollo told us to give him some space," Killua said. The man's hand fell limply to his side.

"What happened?" he asked, shakily.

"We found Kurapika."

"I know, but what happened to him?" Leorio said, a bit annoyed now.

"You know precisely what happened to him." The door opened to reveal one exhausted Phantom Troupe Leader.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Leorio asked, for once pushing aside his grudge against the man.

"No." The door slammed shut again.

Such a simple word, but the pain on Leorio's face proved its simplicity was what hurt the most. There was no hesitation, no 'perhaps', not the slightest indication that Leorio could possibly be useful in this situation. Dang, Chrollo had to still be boiling.

The weight on Killua's shoulder shifted. Gon had woken up.

"Wass goin' on," she asked, voice a bit altered thanks to the early wake-up call.

"Leorio's here," Killua replied, running a hand through her hair absentmindedly.

"Hmm." She nuzzled back into his neck.

Leorio gave them an annoyed look. "Oi. Kurapika's dying in there, and you guys are freaking cuddling? Have some tact."

The door opened again.

"He wants to see you," Chrollo said, simply, standing aside for them to walk in. Gon and Leorio practically ran into the room, brushing past the dark-haired man.

"How is he?" Killua asked, stopping right before the threshold.

"See for yourself," he muttered.

Chrollo closed the door behind him, and walked to Kurapika's side and sitting down on the bed. His hand moved as if to brush away the hair that was no longer there. Instead, he moved to caress his cheek.

Kurapika gave him a small, almost warm smile before turning back to his friends. Killua didn't miss how the ex-blonde reached up to intertwine their fingers.

"How are you feeling, Kurapika?" Gon asked, kneeling down on the ground near the bedside.

"Better," his voice came out as a hoarse whisper.

Killua went to stand beside Gon and Leorio. "You sure 'bout that?"

Kurapika smiled again. "Yes, Killua."

"Well, you better feel great soon. I could barely stand my family without you around to make fun of them with me."

Kurapika chuckled, or tried to. "I'm sure."

"Sorry I wasn't here last night, 'Pika," Leorio suddenly apologized.

Kurapika shook his head to silence his guilt. "Trust me, I didn't even notice you were gone."

Leorio looked a cross between crying and laughing. Kurapika reached out his free pale, scarred hand. Leorio took it, and Chrollo glared at their joined hands for as second but soon went back to surveying the boy's face with a critical eye.

"I'll be alright."

...

And he was. Kurapika was looking good as new within two weeks, though perhaps with shorter hair and a few leftover scars. As for the mental implications Machi spoke of, well, he hid them well. One probably wouldn't even notice the subtle ways he avoided physical contact or how he sometimes entered a short, frightened daze. Perhaps, he was doing a lot worse than he let on, but if so, Killua couldn't tell.

But that was probably because Chrollo kept stealing him away, and Kurapika had stopped running away. As much. Killua had questioned him on this fact before.

 _"Why? I'm not sure. I guess it's like you said. I missed him."_

That was what he'd said. Killua didn't know what to make of it.

"Killua!" a voice called. An out-of-breath Gon practically fell down beside him, almost accidentally crashing into him.

"You okay?"

Gon nodded as she swallowed thickly. "I - I have something I need to t-tell you."

"What is it?"

"I think I found my father!" she said. Excitedly.

"Your dad?" Killua repeated. "I didn't know you were searching for him."

She blinked. "Really?" Killua shook his head and Gon tilted her head to the side in confusion. "I must've forgotten to tell you. Oh well, anyway, Hisoka told me he'd be here next month because he was 'forced to go to a ball by his comrades' or something like that."

"Gon?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't ever do a Hisoka impression again, please." He wasn't sure if it was disturbing or incredibly attractive on her.

"Sorry."

"So, a ball, huh?" Killua returned to the subject at hand.

"Yeah. Hisoka's lending me a dress."

"Why does he even have a dress?"

Gon put a finger to her chin in thought. "Maybe he secretly likes women's fashion."

"So essentially, you're letting him pick out what you wear?" Killua asked, not wanting to dwell on the image of Hisoka in a pink, frilly dress.

"I guess so," Gon said as if she'd just now realized that.

Killua really didn't trust the clown.

"We could just go and buy you one, y'know," Killua muttered, a little perturbed.

"Huh? But I already told Hisoka that I'd wear whatever he picks." She looked at him with those big, innocent amber eyes. What was he saying? Oh yes.

"Why would you do that?" he scolded, moving his face closer to hers until their noses were nearly touching.

"Why wouldn't I?"

He heaved a sigh and placed his head on her shoulder. She jumped a little in surprise but allowed him to stay put.

"Where is this ball happening?" Killua asked, warily.

Silence followed, and Killua felt his frustration rise.

"You don't remember?!" He picked his head up to look at her.

"I'm not very good with addresses," she responded, sheepishly, laughing a bit.

"When is it happening?"

Silence.

"Are you serious?!"

Gon raised her hands as a defensive motion. "Sorry, sorry. I think it's the third of June."

He gave her a skeptical look. "You'd better be right."

"Are you coming too, Killua?" she asked.

"Tsk." He looked away, the blood rushing to his face. "Of course I'm coming with you, idiot. No way am I leaving you alone with that freak."

"Freak's a harsh word."

"It's not really."

...

"A ball?" Kurapika repeated as he applied some of the cream Machi had given him on the scar on his arm.

"Yeah," Killua said, currently lying on the bed with one arm covering his eyes. "What was I thinking."

Kurapika laughed. "Love makes us do strange things."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"So you admit you love her," Kurapika said, grinning like a fool.

Killua almost rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot. There's no point in denying something so obvious."

"But," Kurapika spoke, looking down at his arm somberly, "it's not obvious to her."

"No," Killua said, placing his arms behind his head. "No, it's not."

"Then you should make it so obvious that even she can no longer ignore it," a suave voice advised. Kurapika let out a small squeak as a pair of arms wrapped around his thin waist.

"What do you mean?" Killua asked, looking at the two curiously. They were a couple, weren't they? Surely, they had experience with these types of situations.

"You have to show your affections. Shower her with them: Chocolates, jewels, flowers, among other things," Chrollo explained, his grip tightening ever so slightly. Kurapika rolled his eyes and wormed his way out of the older man's arms.

"Don't listen to him. He has no idea what he's saying."

"And what do you propose he does?" Chrollo asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"Well, for one thing, he could simply tell her," Kurapika reasoned. Killua somehow didn't think that would work.

"What if she misunderstands?" Surprisingly, it was Chrollo who voiced this question.

"Then frame it in a way that makes it impossible to be misunderstood." Kurapika shrugged like it was the simplest thing in the world. Easy for him to say. He wasn't the one who'd fallen in love with the most innocent human being on the face of the planet. No, he'd gotten an overly affectionate criminal mastermind.

"And if that fails, which it will," Chrollo added, leaning against the wall. "Don't be afraid to be a little more forceful."

"Why? So he could scare her away?" Kurapika bristled. Chrollo smirked and walked over to him, raising his hand slowly and cupping his cheek.

"Or perhaps wake her up a bit. One never looks the same at you once they realize you want them."

"Or perhaps it'll make her think he's a complete pervert and she'd never want to see him again."

Killua watched as the couple continued to squabble over whose approach to romance was better. They were ignoring him completely now.

Screw it. He'd just have to improvise.

"Get out of my room," he muttered, shifting on the bed so he wouldn't have to face them.

"Are you sure?" Kurapika asked. "Confessing can be quite nerve-wracking."

"I think I'd prefer being wracked by nerves than seeing you two fight over the right way to confess. Good night."

#ONE MONTH LATER#

His nerves were more than wracked. They were shot. Thousands of different scenarios flooded his brain as he drummed his fingers on the table. He'd agreed to Gon's request of meeting up at the actual ball instead, but that didn't mean he was any less worried. For one thing, the clown was with her. For another, he wasn't. And for yet another, he was about to bloody confess and he had no idea what he was doing.

"You don't have to be so nervous," Kurapika reassured. "The worst that could happen is rejection, after all."

"And the destruction of our entire friendship," Killua added, closing his eyes to calm himself down. "I think I have every right to be nervous."

"Killua!"

His eyes shot open. Oh god, he was so not ready for this.

He steeled himself for the impending doom, took one deep breath, and looked up at the girl before him. And he was proud to admit that his breath wasn't completely taken away, but that might be because there was a clown dressed up in a suit beside her.

"Wah! You two look great," she complimented, smiling like they'd just given her the world.

"Thank you, Gon," Kurapika said, voice laced with laughter. Killua knew his face must be burning red right now. It certainly felt hot.

"Kurapika~," the clown said as if tasting the name on his tongue. He even licked his lips. How could he have let this freak take Gon to the ball?

The blonde looked up at him, a bit surprised that he knew his name. That;s right. Hisoka and Kurapika had never met before. He wondered why that was. Oh right, over-protective criminal mastermind. Where was he when Kurapika truly needed him?

"Y-yes?" the Kurta answered, uncertainty plain in his voice. He'd noticed something off about the clown. Good.

"You are even more beautiful in the flesh," the clown said, stepping closer to the younger man, who had by then gotten up from his seat. Hisoka leaned in to be on eye level with him.

"Um . . . thank you?" His voice was shaking now.

Killua figured it wouldn't be good if the Kurta had some sort of relapse on his watch.

"Oi, Hisoka," he finally said, getting up from his seat, "give the man some space."

"How rude of me ~," Hisoka straightened up again, but his eyes were still fixed on Kurapika. "I was just wondering if Kurapika here would like to dance ~."

"Not with you," Killua answered for the still frozen blonde. The white-haired aristocrat prayed to every deity he'd ever heard of that he wouldn't stay frozen for long.

"Let the man answer for himself, Killua ~," the clown berated, teasingly, still staring at the blonde. "Well, little Kurta?"

The blonde's eyes suddenly turned a vivid red, and his head whipped up to look at the red-haired magician.

"How did you -"

Hisoka suddenly leaned in to whisper something in his ear. Kurapika's eyes widened even further. The clown then offered him a hand. He took it. Killua and Gon could only watch on in shock as Hisoka led their friend to the crowded, overly decorated dance floor.

Killua considered sitting down and writing his will and skipping the whole confession thing. He had a ton of things he wanted Alluka to have after his inevitable death at Chrollo's hands.

"Hisoka seems to really like Kurapika, huh," Gon stated. "You think we should tell him that he and Mr. Lucilfer are already in love?"

"I think he already knows."

"You think?" Gon sounded so surprised that Killua had to wonder if they knew the same clown.

The girl suddenly looped their arms. Killua looked at her questioningly.

"Let's explore!" she said, excitedly, and then started to pull him out of the ballroom and back outside. Killua cast one last glance at Kurapika and Hisoka on the dance floor. They had seemingly entered a very one-sided conversation, but otherwise, Hisoka seemed to be respecting his personal space.

Maybe the blonde wouldn't be scarred for life after this dance.

...

"The stars are so bright!" Gon gazed up at the sky in amazement from their spot on the grass.

"Yeah," Killua said, but his eyes weren't on the stars. He was looking at Gon. The moonlight illuminated her skin, her hair, her eyes, her entire being. Her silver dress shimmered dully. And her slippers . . .

"What are your slippers made of?" he asked, a little incredulously. The girl glanced down at her feet.

"Hisoka said they were made of 100% pure Lukso glass. They're actually pretty comfortable."

"So you're technically walking on glass?"

"I guess so."

"Cool."

Gon grinned at him, and he reached out to play with a loose lock of hair before he could stop himself. His hand moved to her cheek, caressing it. Gon's smile was gone now, replaced by a small, confused line. His thumb traced her jawline, and he gazed into her eyes. Her face reddened.

Something told him this would be a great time to confess.

"Gon," he whispered huskily.

"Hmm," she hummed as a cue for him to go one.

"I have something to say."

"Yes, what is it?" She sounded almost expectant. Perhaps, she wasn't as dense as she appeared.

How was he supposed to admit something like this exactly?

" _Just tell her how you feel."_ Kurapika's voice echoed in his mind.

"I like you, Gon."

She blinked, then smiled. "I like you too, Killua."

She didn't understand. Of course, she wouldn't have.

"I mean the Kurapika-Chrollo sort of like."

"Oh," she said, clearly understanding now. She looked away from him, digesting his answer.

She didn't feel the same way. Oh God, their friendship was ruined. They would never be able to face each other again.

But then she leaned in, stared into his eyes for a few seconds, and pressed her lips to his.

What the hell was happening?

Who the hell cared? His prayers were answered!

His arms wrapped around her slim waist, pulling her closer to him. Her own arms slowly encircled his neck. The kiss deepened and she let out a small gasp as he pulled her ever closer to him. He smirked against her lips.

"I suppose this means you feel the same way?" he murmured, and then changed his angle and pecked her on the lips again before diving in again.

"Yeah," she answered, a bit breathlessly.

She'd been testing him. Trying to see if she felt the same way. It seemed he'd passed with flying colors. Who knew even Gon had a cunning side?

"IS IT TRUE?" a voice suddenly broke them out of their bliss. They both knew that voice.

 _Kurapika._

They peered around the corner of the grand building, making sure they were still obscured by all the vegetation. There, standing on the patio, far away from the rest of the party, were two men, one foaming at the mouth and the other as calm and cold as ever. Had Kurapika found out that he was still stealing stuff?

"Kurapika," Chrollo said, clearly trying to appease the furious Kurta. "Come back inside."

"Answer me!" the Kurta screamed. He sounded so . . . scared. Terrified, really. Of what? Surely not Chrollo. The man would never lay a finger on him.

The man reached out to him. "Calm down-"

"Stop telling me that and just answer me!" Kurapika jolted away from the criminal, his arms folded around himself in a sort of embrace.

This actually looked serious. Maybe he should intervene. He moved to get up, but Gon put a hand on his shoulder to stop him and just shook her head.

 _This really wasn't their fight._

And so he sat there and enjoyed the show.

"You already know the answer," the man's voice came out so quietly that they almost missed it.

What answer, dammit?

"Y-you killed them?" Kurapika's voice shook with anger and fear and a million other emotions that Killua couldn't quite name.

"Yes."

"Why?" his voice cracked. "Why . . . how could you?"

Woah, woah, killed who again?

"For their eyes."

Oh shit. He killed Kurapika's family. No wonder the blonde always felt so on edge around him.

"Of course it was," Kurapika said, almost laughing. "It's always because of the eyes. So tell me, why'd you let me go?"

"I wanted to leave one alive," Chrollo answered, voice dark yet calm.

"Why?" Kurapika demanded.

"I liked living artifacts the best,"

Oh God, this guy was sick. Why had Killua been pushing Kurapika in his direction all these years? Well, he didn't exactly expect the guy to be the brain behind the Kurta Clan's near extinction.

"You bastard."

 _Don't cry, Kurapika._ He might feed on your sadness.

"That changed, though," Chrollo started again, voice for once breaking than calm baritone. The man tried to pull him into an embrace again.

"I don't care." It was Kurapika's turn to be stoic. He looked in their direction, and for a second, Killua thought they'd been found out. Then he gazed back up at Chrollo, and started speaking, this time with a little less burning hatred. "When I was in that chamber in the dark with those voices, all I could think of was the _pain_ and how _easy_ it would've been to just let them have my eyes. Do you know why I didn't?"

Chrollo shook his head but he definitely had at least an idea.

"I thought about Killua and Gon. How they wouldn't have wanted me to give up. About Leorio and what he would've said."

Gon bit her lip, as if she was holding back tears. Killua took her hand as a sign of comfort.

"And I thought of you. Mostly, actually. I realized that if I just focused on you, the pain didn't feel so real anymore. I felt, for a second, safe. You always made me feel safer, somehow."

"Kurapika -"

"Let me finish!" he yelled, and the man was silenced. "That made me realize that I wanted to be with you. That, somehow, I might even love you." He paused for breath, and now he definitely sounded like he was about to cry. "So, thank you."

Wait. What?

"Thank you for finally proving that I haven't been a total arse to you for no reason."

Okay, that made way more sense.

"And now, I have another question," Kurapika said, stepping up to the man so that their faces were only centimeters apart. "Do you love me?"

Chrollo leaned down, and breathed a "yes."

Kurapika lifted one hand and placed it on the man's cheek.

"Then that will be your greatest weakness," the Kurta declared, voice frighteningly soft. "Because you no longer have it in you to kill me. And I just found the strength to end you."

Then he sidestepped the man and walked back into the building.

Killua didn't know whether to clap for Kurapika or feel sorry for Chrollo, so in the end, he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"You can come out now," Chrollo said.

Figures.

They both walked out into the open to see an aloof Chrollo.

 _Please don't kill us, because Kurapika broke up with you._

"Mr. Lucilfer, did you really kill Kurapika's family?" Gon asked, quietly.

"Every last one." His eyes were so dark, and Killua knew this was a bad time for anyone to be around the Spider Head.

"Gon, let's go," Killua said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away.

"Huh? Oh, okay." She let him drag her past the man and through the entrance.

...

He'd doubled his training.

Killua and Gon watched as the man faced off against Canary, who'd graciously agreed to help him out. They were pretty much on the same level so the fight couldn't quite be compared to one where Chrollo was involved but it would do for now.

...

Tripled.

Killua and Gon saw what could only be described as an ambush by the rest of the Zoldyck guards. Kurapika dodged and sidestepped and answered in kind.

Gon gave Killua a worried look as Kurapika suffered a painful-looking hit to the stomach. Killua shrugged. There was nothing they could do.

. . .

Quadrupled.

Kurapika stopped training with them altogether. The Kurta had even quit his position as Killua's manservant. He was too busy helping the Kingdom's military catch some of their most wanted criminals.

...

Thirteen months and five days.

That was the amount of time it took for Gon to finally break and tell Killua they needed to get Kurapika off the path of bloody vengeance. Killua, unable to really turn her down because her puppy eyes were too friggin adorable, reluctantly agreed.

"So, how're we gonna do this?" he asked, as they sat down underneath their tree in the forest.

Gon's forehead contorted in thought. "Well, we could help him reconcile with Chrollo."

"Yeah, but how do we do that?"

Gon looked down at their intertwined hands, pouting slightly, and then a slow, sneaky smile spread across her face.

"Let's get married."

". . . What?!"

She got up on her hands and knees and gave him that determined stare. "Please? It's perfect. Kurapika will feel obliged to go, and Chrollo will go on the pretense of being polite just to see him."

When did she start reading people so well?

"Well . . ." he trailed off. Kurapika would either kill him or Chrollo. Or both. And then Illumi would kill Chrollo. And then the troupe would kill Illumi, God, would the cycle ever end?

"Killua," Gon whispered, and his head whipped back around to face her. She had that smile. That what's-the-worse-that-can-happen smile that completely melted him from the inside out and made him want to jump into whatever the girl had planned for him. Jump in front of a bus? Sure. Jump off that bridge? No problem. Plan the reunion of two lovers-turned-one-sided-enemies and risk getting killed? Sounds fun.

"Alright." And she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in the crook of his mind.

How was he going to explain this to his parents? And her kinda evil guardian?

...

"You're getting married?" Kurapika repeated as he sipped his cup of coffee. The man looked much older than he was now. Perhaps because of the lack of sleep, most likely because of all the bloody training he kept putting himself through. His blonde hair had grown past its original length, He kept forgetting to cut it, apparently. He was wearing a suit and was pulling it off like a pro. A red drop earring hung from his left ear. Revenge had changed the Kurta significantly. He had even been forced to accessorize.

"Two weeks from now, yep," Killua recited as if he'd had an entire script planned out for this.

"Well . . . congratulations." Kurapika said, voice still a bit surprised.

"So . . . you'll go?" Killua looked at him with his best impression of Gon's puppy eyes. Hopeful, innocent, and absolutely irresistible.

"Of course," Kurapika reassured. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

He clearly wasn't that different from the Kurta he'd always known, at least personality-wise.

Killua gave him his best shot at a Gon-smile. "Great!"

...

"Marriage? So soon?" Chrollo asked, far more skeptical than Kurapika.

Killua nodded, hoping desperately that the man couldn't see past their cover.

"I see. Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt." The man tried hard to hide his excitement at the chance to see the Kurta again. He failed miserably.

"Great. Two weeks from now. Tuesday."

"I'll be there."

...

"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED?" his mother squealed/shrieked. "KILLU, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"

"Because I just asked her like five hours ago," Killua answered, covering his ears to block out most of his mother's bansheeness.

"So it's Gon after all," Kalluto said in that quiet, deadly voice. "Pay up, Milluki."

The fat brother grimaced and pulled out a card. "Go get the money yourself, brat!"

"Nii-chan!" Alluka ran over to hug her brother. "Is it true? I'll finally have a big sister?"

Killua returned the hug. "Yep. You remember Gon, don't you?"

"That's that really nice girl who wears a lot of green, right?"

Killua nodded.

"Awesome, we're going to have so much fun together," Alluka squealed, practically sparkling.

"Oi, what are you doing out of your room?" Milluki asked, accusingly. A glare from Killua silenced him for the next few hours or so.

"Well, congratulations, son," Silva said, proudly. "I'm glad you've finally found someone worthy of sharing your life."

Everyone turned to the last Zoldyck who had yet to speak. Illumi sat stoically in his chair, his lips pulled into a bored line.

"I cannot allow this. That girl will drag you off your rightful path," the dark-haired man said. Suddenly, the man found himself in a headlock.

"Come, Illumi ~" Hisoka cooed. "Don't be the asshole of the family. Let the poor boy get married to his true love in peace."

Illumi sighed heavily. "Oh, alright."

"I wasn't really asking for your permission," Killua murmured, trying to ignore the fact that the clown had just come out of nowhere.

...

Kurapika had been surprisingly insistent on planning the whole thing on top of already being best man, but Killua figured it was either his mother, Kurapika, or an overpriced professional planner. He chose Kurapika.

He kind of regretted it now.

"I swear they're the same color," he said for the thousandth time.

"One of them is lime green and the other is grass green," Kurapika said, exasperatingly.

They were the same color!

...

Two weeks passed by with excruciating slowness. Between Kurapika's bossiness and everyone else's excitement, Killua felt thoroughly exhausted by the end.

And it was all because they wanted to get Kurapika of the road of vengeance.

Something about that fact left a bitter taste in his mouth. He and Gon were intentionally using their relationship to their advantage. It felt like everything was a farce.

The sleeping girl next to him stirred.

"Killua?" she called, sluggishly. "You're already awake?"

"Hmm, just thinking," he whispered back, brushing some of her dark hair back behind her shoulder.

She buried her face in his chest and sighed contently as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "About what?"

"The wedding."

"What part of it?" she asked.

"I want to marry you for real," he blurted out. The girl in his arms froze, but only for a few seconds. She then giggled.

"We are getting married for real," she responded. "It's just convenient that we'll get the two of them together as well. It's for them, but." She took his hand. "It's still mostly for us."

And she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"Now, sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

Another round of giggles followed.

...

"There you are," Kurapika said, half relieved and half immensely annoyed. "I've been waiting for ages." He was dragged to the altar by a frustrated Kurta.

He really wasn't that late.

Then he noticed a black-clad Chrollo at the back of the room and figured Kurapika's anger wasn't completely directed towards him.

"Sorry." Not really.

"Now just wait here," Kurapika ordered.

"For how long?"

"About twenty minutes if everything goes according to plan."

Twenty minutes went by, and the doors opened as if on cue. Gon came in dressed in white and looking exquisite as usual. Somehow, they had held Ging down long enough to walk her down the aisle. He'd probably throw another vanishing act towards the end of the reception, but Gon considered this an accomplishment nonetheless.

She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, and he graced her with one of those few genuine smiles.

"Do you, Killua Zoldyck . . ."

Yeah, he was just gonna block out the annoying proctor who looked oddly like Hisoka.

"Exchange your vows ~"

And sounded a lot like Hisoka as well.

"Gon," he started, rubbing circles on her palms, "you made me a better person."

The crowd murmured in agreement. He didn't like this particular crowd, but he figured that Kurapika would impale him if he killed them all. Not to mention Gon would be disappointed in him.

"As I was saying. You saw me as the person I've always wanted to be. A hero."

"How cheesy!" someone yelled.

"Shut up," he hissed, glaring at the crowd, before turning back to Gon. "You made me feel weak for the first time in my life. Feel emotions more strongly than I ever had before. I fell in love with you without even trying. And it was the best thing that's ever happened to me. You are my light, Gon, and I can only hope that you'll continue to be."

"Aw!" Gon said and she hugged him. "Of course, I will! Forever and ever and ever and ever!"

He patted her back awkwardly. "Got it. Forever. Your turn."

She immediately released him, blushing a bit. "Oh. Right. Well, Killua. You showed me a lot of things that I didn't know existed before. Adventure after adventure, every day was interesting. And, I think you made me a better person as well. I feel more alive. Like I don't have to pretend anymore."

She'd been pretending?

"And I never realized what love could really mean until I met you. And I can't wait to go on this next adventure with you."

 _Oh my gosh, that was adorable._

"You may kiss the bride ~," the Hisoka proctor cooed, looking ridiculously happy.

"You've got thirty seconds," Kurapika whispered.

He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Chaste and slow: They were in public after all.

But then, he felt her wrap her arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. The audience clapped and a few cat-called. He really did not like that audience.

"That's enough," Kurapika cut in. He really was all business.

The kiss broke off and Killua rested his forehead on hers, a small smile playing on his lips.

So far, so good.

...

Kurapika stood up. He had no cards to read off of, but Killua wasn't worried. The blonde had probably memorized his entire speech anyway.

"First, I would like to thank you all for coming tonight to witness the union of two people who have become the closest thing I have to a family," the blonde started.

Gon took Killua's hand and smiled. He smiled back.

"A family that I sometimes doubt I deserve," Kurapika continued, "for I can be a bit of condescending prick at times."

The crowd murmured in agreement. Kurapika glared at them, and they shut up.

"I can also be self-absorbed and perhaps a little obsessed when it comes to pursuing my goals."

"You can say that again," Killua muttered. His little obsession was what drove them to this point.

"But then I remember that Killua can be a bit of an arse sometimes, Leorio's a money monger, and Gon can be a bit selfish sometimes." So much for being nice. "And then the realization strikes that we're all messed up, just some more than others." Got that right. "So, I suppose, it makes sense why we all found each other. Because, when we're together, we can forget about the past and focus on the present. When Killua met Gon, I saw him be truly carefree for the first time in my life. For the first time, he could separate himself from being a Zoldyck heir and simply be Killua. The same way we all could separate ourselves from our pasts." His eyes lingered on Chrollo for a few seconds, but then he turned back to Gon and Killua. "And for once, focus on our futures. And that? That is what true companionship is."

Oh shite, he was talking about Chrollo. This was like the aftermath of a really bad break-up that neither could really get over.

"And so tonight, I'd like to make a toast." He picked up his glass of champagne, "To love. To companionship. To friendship."

A few people sniffled and dabbed at their eyes while raising their glasses. Killua resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Awwwwww!" Gon squealed, then she slipped in between Killua and Kurapika, putting her arms around their shoulders. "Group hug! Leorio, you too!"

The man walked up to them and engulfed his friends in a giant bear hug.

"Man," he sniffled, "you guys are really, really insane, but you have no idea how much I love you."

"We love you, too!" Gon chirped.

"Most of the time," Kurapika added.

"Yeah, definitely depends on the circumstances, ossan," Killua commented.

"OSSAN!"

The three friends burst into laughter at Leorio's indignation.

...

Kurapika was gone by the end of the night. As was Chrollo. Not surprisingly, they were last seen together.

The next day, a much more peaceful looking Kurapika came to work. Gon and Killua high-fived each other behind his back.

Mission Impossible Status: Completed.

...

 **A/N: It started off as a total retelling of Cinderella and then webbed off into its own thing. I'm sorry about all the suffering I put Kurapika through. As you can see, he got better. This was also supposed to be completely KilluGon centric, but then I realized not much could go wrong with them after they got together. So, I decided to put in some KuroKura drama instead. BTW, I don't think they got back together, personally. They just got some closure. Anyway, recommendations are welcome. If you have a request, please either review or PM me. I'll see you next time.**


	2. The Princess and the Thief (Part 1)

**Warnings: Since the Kurta tribe was never massacred, Kurapika will be a little OOC. Mostly because I kind of feel that it was circumstances that made him the cold avenger he is now. Thankfully, in this one-shot he's royalty and that makes him a serious type of dude, well, gal. I'm also kind of channeling the gentleman Chrollo we saw interact with Neon for this. Because, honestly, I'm not about to pair Kurapika off with just anybody. No worries, though, he's still a psycho at heart. Just a much nicer psycho. I also turned Kura into a girl. What? I wanted him to be a princess. Disney** **style.**

 **Dislaimer: I don't own HxH**

 **The Princess and The Thief:**

Kurapika stormed into her room, uncomfortable heels clicking on the flawless marble floor. She threw the expensive necklace on the vanity. It had been a present from one of her 'suitors'. The man had had the gall to pull her into an empty hallway as well. Creep.

"Ohhohoho," a sly voice laughed at her suffering as she practically ripped the stupid pearl earrings out of her ears. "Did someone get in another fight with her suitors?"

She grimaced and glared at the jester. "It wasn't a fight."

"Oh, my apologies, your highness," the man said as he got up from his perch on the window base and jumped down into a mock-bow. "It was self-defense, right?"

"Of course," she replied, turning away to place her earrings on the vanity beside the ridiculous necklace. If only her parents took her little acts of self-defense as lightly as the clown. She could practically hear the lecture now. _Kurapika, violence is never the answer._ She begged to differ in these instances. The Kurta truly was a pacifist at heart, but something about those men ticked her off. They looked down on her, treated her like a prize. Like a treasure meant to be polished, perfected, protected, possessed. She hated it. Hated it almost as much as she hated spiders.

The jester chuckled. "What was it this time? A kick to the face? A foot slammed on his toes? Your heels look particularly sharp tonight. A punch?" She stiffened, and he grinned. "How violent. Did his nose bleed afterward." She attempted to unclasp the necklace around her own neck, trying desperately to ignore the man. He waltzed over to her. "Need some help?"

"Five-meter rule," she reminded. The man jumped back to the distance their little agreement required. "Anyway. Gon's not here. He went out with Killua."

"Oh, but I'm not here to check up on that little apple. I'm here to see a completely different fruit." The clown gestured at her, suggestively. She just might've vomited right then and there. "Tell me, princess, when was the last time you got out of this place?"

She didn't remember. Her parents were quite strict when it came to leaving the palace walls. They were Kurtas. Their eyes went for millions on the black market. For now, their heritage was safe and hidden. A slip up could mean their doom. Kurapika understood that and she abided by their rules like every other member of their large, extended family.

The fact that she understood didn't make her yearning for another world go away. She doubted it ever would.

"How sad ~" the man cooed. The door suddenly slammed open, and a heaving Pairo raced in.

"I - I have th-the co-contacts," he stammered, out of breath. He'd probably ran the whole way there.

The young man reached out and placed a small, black box in Kurapika's outstretched hand. The Kurta opened it to reveal another container with two perfect circular pieces of what appeared to be black plastic.

"I call them contact lenses," Pairo explained. "It'll turn your eyes black and they'll stay that way even if they trigger."

Kurapika stared at her ticket to freedom for a few seconds, then turned back to her best friend and smiled warmly. "Is this what you've been working on?"

The boy nodded, smiling. His smile faded into a surprised 'o' when Kurapika pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

He nodded. "No problem. I know how much you've always wanted to get away from here."

"Aww ~," Hisoka fawned over the two, going on about the importance of familial affections as he slowly edged closer to them.

"Five-meter rule," Kurapika said, not even turning to glare at him. The clown stopped in his tracks and returned to the outside of the imaginary five-meter circle.

"Now, you can go outside without having to worry about those pretty rubies showing up and making everyone go insane ~," Hisoka said, sounding quite pleased with himself. "You know, this was really my plan, right? Don't I deserve a hug?"

The man opened his arms wide, expecting the girl to simply fall into his arms. No such luck, Kurapika had already busied herself with preparations.

How cruel ~

The girl followed Pairo's instructions on how to put the contacts in. When she turned back around, her warm, brown eyes had turned a shade of black that rivaled obsidian. The color reminded him of another young man with eyes dark as ebony, but this was no time to fantasize about his Danchou. Right now, he had to free a little golden bird from her gilded cage.

"Take the servant's entrance, Pika-chan ~"

Kurapika nodded as she walked out of her dressing room in men's clothes - a black jacket with a blue shirt underneath, a red scarf around her pale neck, dark trousers, and, of course, a black cap to hide her golden tresses. She looked like any other male servant albeit an attractive male servant.

"I'll be back by tomorrow morning," she announced as she walked to the small, wooden door that was the servant's entrance. "If my parents come, stall them."

Pairo nodded once, determination written all over his face. Ah, the beauty of familial friendships.

"And thank you," she said, her words once again meant for Pairo. Sheesh, what did a perverted clown have to do to get some attention around here? He really wanted that hug.

Unfortunately, the girl had already disappeared.

"I guess that means I'll have to save my hugging prowess for later," he sighed, disappointed. Then, his eyes fell on the young dark-haired man still watching the door with pride. A small, sneaky smirk made its way to his face as he pranced over to the younger male. There was no five-meter circle around dear Pairo.

"My, Pairo, you've grown to be quite handsome," Hisoka flirted, as he burst through the poor boy's personal bubble. Pairo gave him one wide-eyed look of horror and ran out the door.

Hisoka smiled a resigned smile. "They always run." Then his smile widened. "Well, I suppose the chase is rather thrilling as well."

. . .

Kurapika stepped lightly as she passed servant after servant, some knew her and decided to keep silent, others were so used to seeing her in expensive dresses that her servant's garb completely fooled them. Good, that meant it worked. Her heart raced as the exit came into view. Breaking the rules was rather exciting.

"Heh, Kurapika!?" a voice shouted in surprise. A young boy of around fifteen ran up to her, his spiky hair bouncing along with his movements. "What are you doing? Why are you dressed like that? Are you going somewhere? Can we come too-"

Gon was suddenly caught in a headlock by a silver-haired ex-assassin. Killua rolled his eyes at the older boy's antics. "Shut up, idiot! She's clearly going outside the palace walls. Do you want her to get caught?"

"I thought no one was allowed outside the palace walls," Gon commented, innocently, as he fought his way out of the headlock.

"That's why she can't be caught, idiot! You're totally blowing her cover. C'mon, we have work to do, slacker," he said, all the while pulling the spiky-haired teen back into the kitchen.

Kurapika breathed a sigh of relief. Gripping her bag closer to her body, our heroine calmly and quietly glided out of the room. She climbed the wall, thanking every deity that male clothes were practically made for athletics. She stood there for a while, on the barrier that had separated her from the real world for the last nineteen years of her life. Then, with a childlike glee, she hopped down to the nearest tree branch, memories of climbing trees as a child flooded her mind.

She continued to jump from branch to branch until she was about 30 feet in the air when she accidentally hopped onto a rocky tree limb. All she heard was a loud crack and suddenly found herself hurtling towards the ground at breakneck speed. She wouldn't die. She'd probably walk away uninjured, in fact: a perk of being a Kurta.

But the impact would still hurt.

Except it didn't. Why didn't it hurt? Had she died despite her predictions?

She opened her eyes hesitantly and found herself suspended in air, not anywhere near the ground. The Kurta tilted her head up to see a young man staring down at her, and his hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Are you alright, miss?" he asked, gently, as he pulled her up onto the branch.

"Yes. I'm fine." Kurapika managed to straddle the sturdy tree branch and face her savior. "I'm sorry about that."

The man leaned back against the tree and smiled at her. "No problem. Glad to be of service, your majesty."

Her eyes snapped up to meet his. "Excuse me."

He gestured towards the ground, and Kurapika realized her cap had fallen off somewhere in between her falling and her getting caught. Her hands went up to comb through her hair. Then she looked back to the man.

"Please don't tell anyone," she pleaded. Now, Kurapika wasn't one to resort to begging, but desperate times call for desperate measures. She was finally out. The girl wasn't about to allow all their effort to go to waste because some man had a big mouth.

"Your secret is safe with me, my lady," he reassured, giving her a comforting upturn of his lips. The moonlight filtered through the trees, and the young woman suddenly realized that the man in front her was eerily handsome. His dark hair was parted in the middle. Dark eyes gazed at her with that same casual warmth each of his movements contained. He was dressed in a minimally ruffled black suit. Even so, she could tell he was rather lean and muscular.

"Why thank you," he teased, lightly. "I find you quite attractive as well."

She suddenly realized she'd been staring. The Kurta averted her newly black irises and forced the heat rising in her cheeks to disappear. There was nothing to be shy about. She'd only been observing a bit, that was all.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have stared," she responded, politely.

He chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I take appreciative stares as compliments."

It wasn't appreciative! She was observing, that was all. Yes, yes, observing!

"Well," he said, standing up on the tree. "I suppose we should go get your hat, hmmm?"

And then he jumped off. Just jumped off like they were only a few inches off the ground. Kurapika shook her head of the shock and peered down again. He was still alive and standing. He didn't seem injured in any way.

What was he?

She followed him down, this time, a little more cautiously. He placed the cap in her hands, and she tucked her hair in again. The man then cast her a worried expression as he peered at her.

"There's a scrape on your cheek," he said.

"Oh?" She brushed her fingers against her cheek and felt the warm blood on their tips. It felt so strange. The Kurta couldn't remember the last time she'd bled. Most of the time there were people around to make sure she didn't do anything remotely harmful.

"There's one on your arm as well. We should get them cleared up," the man said, turning away and heading in the general direction of the town. "Come on, I know a place."

Kurapika stiffened. She knew better than to follow a stranger, no matter how charming said stranger was.

"I think I'll be fine," she said, not taking one step further. He twisted his neck a bit to look back at her.

"Are you sure? Infections can get pretty bad if left untreated." He walked back towards her. "It'll be safer to take care of it right away."

"I . . ." She really had no idea what she was doing right now. "Can find someone myself."

He gave her a small smile. "Fair enough. You'll be disappointed, however. Everything's closed at this time."

Kurapika smiled back, albeit forcibly. "Hospitals never close. They're open twenty-four seven."

"Yes, but if you go to a hospital, then your identity will be revealed," he reasoned, still smiling easily. "I'm assuming that isn't a particularly appealing scenario to you."

Her smile vanished completely, replaced by a suspicious glare.

He offered his hand as a response to her silence. "Trust me?"

Kurapika wasn't one to trust on a whim. She wasn't Gon. She didn't have that childlike ability to believe in others unconditionally. She needed evidence.

"I'm afraid my trust has to be earned," she said, coolly, sidestepping the man.

"Well then, at least allow me to accompany you," he suggested, following in her footsteps.

"How is that any better than your first proposal?" the Kurta snapped, not bothering to turn around.

"It's not really, but I'm going to follow you anyway so I might as well be polite about it."

Kurapika didn't know if she liked or hated his straightforwardness. Both, perhaps? How did that mix work?

"Fine," She finally muttered, resigned to her fate. The man caught up to her with surprising speed, looking quite pleased with himself.

She didn't like him.

...

Kurapika didn't know who this man was or what he wanted, but she knew one thing: He was a bloody smooth talker.

She hadn't even paid that much attention to her surroundings and ended up getting led to the place she had been so adamant about avoiding. It was a little run-down clinic sandwiched between a shop filled with antiques and a grocery store lined with stalls of fruits and vegetables. It didn't seem particularly dangerous, but Kurapika knew from experience that not everything shiny turned out to be gold. Or, in her case, not every prince was very princely.

Barking suddenly reached her ears. Her eyes landed on a black-coated puppy scurrying frantically towards her companion. The man kneeled down to pick it up.

"Good evening, Shadow," he greeted, stroking its fluffy head.

Kurapika stared at it, and soon enough, the young puppy met her eyes as well. It tilted its head to the side in curiosity, icy blue eyes observing her with a keen interest. It then stretched out a little in an attempt to reach her. The raven-haired man chuckled lightly and handed the puppy to her. The Kurta frantically shifted her arms to properly hold the baby animal. It looked up at her with soulful blue eyes and she felt her icy heart thaw.

How could a man in possession of such an adorable animal be anything less than a saint?

The Kurta followed him into the shop, a very happy puppy still enveloped in her arms.

"Danchou," a surprised voice rang through the room. "What brings you here?"

"Machi. I have a patient for you," he announced, gesturing to the distracted princess. A woman stepped out from the shadows of the room. She carried a bottle of some kind of fluid in her hand. Her dark blue eyes fell on the Kurta, and Kurapika met it without the slightest hesitation. Machi raised one elegant eyebrow.

"Direct eye contact on the first try?" she whispered to herself. The blue-eyed thief then gave her a decisive look. "Very well. How did you get yourself in such a mess?"

Kurapika averted her eyes, a bit reluctant to say anything.

"I . . . fell out of a tree," she finally said.

"What a stupid way to get hurt," Machi commented, as she sat down on the couch. Kurapika bristled at the insult but decided to keep her mouth shut. The woman patted the space next to her. "Don't just stand there, sit down,"

The Kurta obeyed since she saw no reason to refuse. The couch had been surprisingly soft. She could tell it was a bit out of place in the room but tried not to linger on that thought.

The shorter woman peered at a particularly nasty cut on her arm, took out a needle and thread seemingly from out of nowhere, and started to stitch it back together. Kurapika tried to focus on the beautiful, wonderful, amazing, incredible puppy on her lap. She had never liked needles. She just hoped it was sterilized. Machi seemed to know what she was doing at least/

. . .

"Where are we going now?" she asked, Shadow still curled up in her arms. He had apparently decided she was his new favorite pillow, which suited her just fine because he was just so cute.

"Places."

"Don't be cheeky. Tell me," she demanded, albeit a bit distractedly because her eyes were still on the adorable, enchanting, delightful little angel called Shadow.

"Don't you want to be surprised?" he asked.

"No."

"My, you are no fun, my princess," the man laughed, raising his hands to the sky and stretching.

"Spill."

"Your glares are almost as terrifying as Machi's. A feat in and of itself." The glare intensified. "Very well, please stop trying to turn me to ash. We're going to a friend's place."

"Friend?" She stopped petting, and Charkie retaliated by biting the Kurta's finger gently.

"Don't sound so surprised."

"Sorry. You just don't seem like the type to call others friends so easily," she explained, as she pulled her hand away from Charkie's teeth.

"What do you take me for?" he asked, pretending to be hurt, placing a hand to his chest.

"A heartless, smooth-talking businessman," she answered, honestly. The man looked at her a bit pensively, then he gazed up at the sky.

"You're a blunt little girl, aren't you?" he said, a bit disheartened.

"I try my best."

. . .

Shalnark, as the raven-haired called him, was just as cheerful as she'd expected. He oozed sunshine and rainbows almost as much as Gon did, except the baby-faced man had a much darker kind of cheerfulness. The kind of cheerfulness that never faded even in the face of very unhappy situations.

In all honesty, he gave her the feeling that if he killed a man, his expression wouldn't change a bit.

"Wanna play?" he asked, gesturing with some sort of device at her. He hadn't gotten up from his spot in front of the giant, glowing box in front of him. Kurapika's curiosity was piqued. How did it work? What did it do? Was it magic? Fascinating, simply fascinating.

She sat down next to the man and accepted a similar-looking, silver device. It had buttons she noticed, and the two at the type moved when she wiggled them around.

"I call it a controller. Y'know, 'cause it controls what goes on in the TV," he explained. Kurapika was still confused, however. The Kurta looked up at him with wide, curious eyes. She wanted to know more.

"Alright, so just watch me this time round, 'kay. We'll teach you up in no time," he said, cheerfully.

One short, but extremely enlightening, tutorial later, Kurapika had decided she did not need a repeat and was ready for the real deal. Nine hours later, the two opponents had been through about two hundred rounds of Shalnark's patented game and were still ready for more.

"Have you two been up all night?" a calm voice asked. Neither youth turned to look at him, but Shalnark felt kind enough to respond.

"Of course, danchou. This girl is pretty good at this," he said, fingers clicking away.

"Pretty good? I'm shellacking you," Kurapika scoffed.

"Hey! I beat you last round!" he complained.

"And I beat you the twenty rounds before that," she stated.

"So mean," he whimpered. "Just like Machi."

Chrollo chuckled at the sight and Kurapika acknowledged him for the first time since he'd entered the room.

"What d'you want?" she asked, a bit annoyed. "You're gonna throw me off."

"My apologies, your highness, but I believe it is about time you return to your gilded cage," he said, respectfully. So respectfully, in fact, that it almost felt like he was mocking her.

She didn't have time to ponder this, however. One glance at the clock on the wall and panic filled her.

It was eight in the morning. God, her parents would kill her.

. . .

"Well, princess," Chrollo said, as they reached the front gate. The man took her hand and placed a kiss on it. "I bid you farewell."

"Yeah, see you later," Kurapika replied, not at all surprised at his action. Many men kissed her hand before they left. She'd been through worse invasions of privacy. Those invasions were met with a large hospital bill and much pain on the man's part. Kurapika didn't have time to deal with their shit. Neither did her mother. Yuka was quite a deadly force when angered. She was the one who taught Kurapika how to properly throw annoying people out windows, after all.

The man looked up at her, a small smirk forming on his face.

"There'll be a later?" he asked.

Kurapika blushed, crossed her arms, averted her eyes, and said, "only if you bring Shadow along."

"But of course," he said, bowing his head once more. He then straightened up, smiling like a child on Christmas. Then he leaned in so their foreheads touched. "I'll see you then."

She frowned. "A little personal space, please?"

He backed up obediently, putting his hands in the air. "My apologies. I continue to forget the gap between us." Or lack thereof. Bloody smooth talker. He was lucky he had a cute dog. "Well, I suppose this is my cue." He motioned for her to look over her shoulder.

"KURAPIKA!" her mother ran towards her, tears streaming down her face. The older blonde hugged her so tightly that she almost thought she felt her ribs crack a bit. Kurapika felt a pang of guilt strike her heart. She hadn't considered how they'd feel when they found out she was gone. But then, if Hisoka had done his job, they wouldn't have found out. That clown was going to get quite a talking-to after she was done calming down her mother.

"Hi, mom," she said, a bit awkwardly. She wasn't a rule-breaker, really. The only rules she broke were those that didn't condone violence against annoying people. Otherwise, she had a clean slate. Which was why she had no idea how to deal with a situation where she was actually caught red-handed.

"Don't you 'hi, mom' me, young lady," her mother chastised, trying hard to mask her relief by using her mom-voice. "Where were you? We were so worried about you! Oh my gosh, you're hurt! Wait, did someone kidnap you? Give me names, I'll take them all on, don't you worry."

Kurapika waved her hands in front of her. "No, no, nothing like that. I just . . . well, I . . . I . . . I ran away, I guess." What a cowardly act, running away. Kurapika never thought she'd be the one doing it someday and yet here she was.

"Oh. Well, you should've at least left a note," her mother criticized. Kurapika stared at her in disbelief. "That's what I did my first time sneaking out."

Wait. Sneaking out? Her mother? Well, Kurapika guessed it wasn't too ridiculous. Her mother had always been a rebel if the stories were told by her grandparents were to be believed, but running away had always seemed out of bounds even for her.

"Anyway," her mother said, conspiratorially, linking their arms, "tell me next time, 'kay. I'll help you out."

Kurapika gave the woman an incredulous look. "Help me?"

"Of course. It's been so long since I've stepped out of line," Her mother said, as they walked through the giant doors to the palace.

"Didn't you put extra pepper in Aunt Linda's soup a few days ago?" Kurapika knew her mother too well to believe a word she said when it came to such things.

"Yeah, that was funny," she replied, nostalgically, a huge grin on her face. Queen Yuka might be a royal by blood, but she certainly didn't act like one. Her mother insisted that she only acted like this because everyone else was a total stiff and they needed a little ray of sunshine like her to lighten up their day. Kurapika knew better. Her mother just liked messing with people.

The girl soon realized she wasn't being pulled to the dining room, where she had expected her mother to drag her to since the younger Kurta clearly hadn't eaten anything since she left. No, she was dragged past the dining area, past the living rooms, even past the stairs leading up to her room. The only other place she could think of was the sun room. They hardly ever had a family meeting there.

What was going on?

"Ah, Kurapika, perfect timing," her father said. His voice was calm and smooth as usual, but his eyes said that they were going to talk about her earlier escapade soon. "I'd like you to meet Prince Lavian Nostrade of Chalancia."

Another one? It had only been a day. Usually, they gave her a week to relax before the next moneygrabber came.

The young man who had previously been sitting in one of the lavish chairs stood up. He gave her a careless grin. Handsome, he was, but Kurapika knew that accounted for little. He seemed familiar, somehow. Perhaps, they had met at a party years ago or something. Something about his red hair and golden eyes pricked her memory. Odd, very odd.

"Here I thought I had scared you away before I even arrived," he said, good-naturedly. He then bowed. "Prince Lavian Nostrade of Chalancia at your service, m'lady. I must ask you to never call me that, however. It's a bit of a mouthful and unpleasant to the ears. Lavian will do."

Now she had to give him permission to call her by her first name too. She hated court games, but that didn't mean she couldn't play them like a fiddle.

"Then it would only be right if you call me Kurapika from now on as well," she said, smiling sweetly.

He tilted his head to the side in confusion, as if he'd expected something else. Someone else.

"An honor and a privilege, m'lady."

"We'll leave you to it," her father announced, standing up as well.

The Queen grabbed Kurapika's arm again and whispered, "I think you might even like this one."

When had she ever liked one of her suitors?

With the slamming of the door, they were gone, and Kurapika was left alone with the odd red-haired stranger.

"You look like you stayed up all night and fell from a tree somewhere along the way," he commented, looking her up and down. Kurapika frowned. He certainly didn't attempt to be polite.

He was still spot on.

She looked down at her servant's attire. Her mother hadn't even told her to change. The King didn't seem particularly bothered that she was meeting a royal guest in her current state either. Who was he? Did he care so much about the money that her appearance meant nothing? Just as well. It'd be easier to break him this way.

"If you're planning to kill me, I'm going to have to ask you to at least give me a chance to at least clear half the things on my bucket list before you murder me in cold blood," he quipped. Her headache rose with every word, as her temper bubbled and threatened to spill over. Maybe, she shouldn't have stayed up all night. She took one deep breath to calm herself.

"Shut. Up." She thought a bit. "Please." Had to be polite. He was still a guest, and he still hadn't done anything to warrant any inhospitable behavior from the blonde. Besides being an annoying prick, but she didn't think he should be blamed for something he was clearly born with.

"Yes, ma'am," he conceded.

Something in her brain clicked.

" _Shut up, Lavi."_

" _Yes, Ma'am."_

" _Don't do anything stupid, Lavi."_

" _Yes, Ma'am."_

" _Get off me, Lavi!"_

" _Yes, Ma'am."_

"Lavi."

The man smirked as realization surfed over her face like a wave. "It's been so long, bestie."

She hit him on the head, and his hand moved to massage the already forming bruise. Pain filled his face, and Kurapika felt an enormous amount of satisfaction flood her body.

"OW! What was that for?"

"It just felt appropriate given our situation."

"Our situation?"

"Where have you been this whole time, idiot! I waited for you, you know!" She yelled. Oh dear, the fatigue was getting to her head.

"Well, I'm here now!" he exclaimed, cheerfully, spreading his arms out wide for a hug. "Besides, I'm not the one who apparently forgot everything about her past friendship."

"Well, I'm sorry, I was a bit busy fending off suitors and planning for my future as Queen," Kurapika answered, monotonously. Then, she sighed. "Well, I suppose it's just as well. I need as much help as I can get."

"Help?"

"To keep marriage off my to-do list."

He chuckled, and Kurapika gave him a puzzled look. "Funny you should say that because that's sort of why I'm here." Kurapika's eyes widened as the revelation fell on her like a ton of bricks. Lavian rubbed the back of his head, a bit sheepishly.

"No," she whined, reverting back to the eight-year-old only Lavian could bring out. "But why?"

"Dad thought it'd be a good idea," he informed. "We used to get along when we were kids, so he figured we'd be a good match."

"I never liked that man." Light Nostrade was a greedy bastard with eyes on monopolizing as much land as possible. This was undoubtedly part of his plan. Kurapika grimaced at the thought of someone underestimating her to such an extent. As if she would ever allow herself to be manipulated, especially by a man like that.

"Hey, look at the bright side. It could be worse. I could be a total pervert with no respect for other members of humanity," he said, still cheerfully optimistic. Kurapika considered his observation. He was better than most of her suitors. He was charming, funny, bright and cheerful. Plus, he was skilled in so many fields that it almost scared her. But above all else, Lavian never treated as anything less or more than who she was.

It was also an added bonus that he knew about her eyes.

So, she could either wait around for a perfect man who would never show up and probably eventually get shipped off to some last-resort freak, become a nun or get married to Lavian. The nunnery was obviously the best choice, but if she swore off man, there was no telling how Parliament would react. She would prefer to not stir up any more conflict. Times like this made her wish she had siblings to carry on the legacy instead. She might have the brain to be the absolute monarch of a land, but she sure as hell didn't have the desire. She'd much rather spend her days traveling the world.

"So what do you say?"

And if it was Lavian, then she'd have someone to go along with her borderline illegal plots.

"Okay, but don't get ahead of yourself."

"Or you'll probably gouge my eyes out with a rusty fork, yes?"

"You remembered?"

"Of course, m'lady. That threat traumatized me for life."

Silence.

"But, of course, you're not sorry."

"You kind of deserved it."

"Point taken."

. . .

 **(A/N: I think I turned Kurapika into Knuckle for a second there. So, this was technically supposed to be a one shot and in the ONCE UPON A TIME series. But then I decided this is gonna be too long (it already is) and put it in as a multi-chap. I just have a solid plotline for this and I didn't feel like messing it up by rushing. And Lavian isn't Neon. Completely different person. A bit of a love triangle between Kurapika, Lavian, and Chrollo. I'm trying my best to make Lavian likable enough so you guys don't want to die a painful death. So, yeah, a new Fairytale AU, but without any magic or any of that shite. Kurapika's gonna be a little OOC at the start, but that's what character development is for. Let us all remember she hasn't experienced the death of her clansmen in this story. Bye, love ya.)**

 **Question Of The Chapter: Favorite character? Hisoka, Kurapika, Chrollo, Machi, Lavian, Queen Yuka, King Pirru, Shalnark, Pairo, Gon, Killua,** _ **Shadow?**_

 **Hope you liked this absurdly long piece of craziness.**


	3. PatT (PART II: Bonding)

**The Princess and the Thief:**

 **Part II:**

 **Bonding**

Kurapika knew she probably shouldn't be doing this again. She only knew the outside world thanks to the books documenting it. Sure, she might end up bumping into that strange man again, but at the end of the day . . . he was just a stranger. She didn't even know his name for God's sake. He could be a serial killer for all she knew!

And yet, here she was walking towards the town in the distance with a skip to her step and a strange excitement bubbling within her. Kurapika had a strong sense of self-preservation, but sometimes her sense of adventure won out. Besides, it wasn't like she came completely unarmed. There was a small dagger in her boot. If anyone tried to so much as put one finger atop her head, she'd cut them down instantly.

Yes, yes, she was prepared for whatever came her way.

"Good evening, Princess," a suave voice greeted, and Kurapika swirled around as she felt a distinct presence sneak up behind her. Dark eyes glinted in amusement at her displays of self-defense. The pristine, white bandage around his head still ever present in contrast to his inky black hair.

"It's just you," Kurapika sighed in relief.

"Tsk, always believing the worst is just around the corner," he chided. "You need to get out more, _Princess_."

This time his tone turned ever-so-slightly mocking at the end. She grimaced.

"What do you want?" she finally asked, stepping around the black-clad man.

"I'm here to show you around town. Think of me as your own personal bodyguard," he offered, catching up with ease.

"I thought the world wasn't as bad as I figured," Kurapika replied, trying not to walk too fast and reveal her uneasiness. She needed to stay calm, at least on the outside.

"I said that you were being paranoid. You can't go around attacking whoever comes up to you," he clarified, calmly. Kurapika had the urge to roll her eyes at his patronizing.

"I'm perfectly aware of that. And I wasn't going to attack you without reason," she answered.

"I doubt that somehow," he muttered. Black eyes turned to glare at him, before a series of excited barks softened them up. Shadow suddenly came running a little quickly and skidded to a halt in front of the girl, which resulted in him falling face-first into the dirt. That didn't seem to faze him though because a second later he was jumping around her in circles.

"Nice to see you too, Shadow," she laughed, kneeling down on the ground. The black ball of fur promptly jumped on her. Next thing she knew, she felt something warm and wet on her cheek. He was licking her. The girl didn't know whether it was adorable or inconvenient, but either way, she let the puppy shower her with affection.

"He's been waiting all day," Chrollo informed, watching the two with something akin to warmth in his bottomless eyes.

"I didn't say I would come."

"Waiting doesn't require an exact date, princess. He would've waited until you came. Whether that was today or in a hundred years."

"Poetic."

"I try."

. . .

"What _is_ this place?" Kurapika whispered, her eyes wide with distaste and slight curiosity. The streets were lined with trash, the houses were meager little cottages, children walked about the street in rags.

"Meteor City. In other words, the greatest slum in our great country," he explained, sounding much like a tour guide. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It's awful."

"I grew up here."

"Oh," she uttered, feeling a bit guilty, "ah, it's lovely. Once you get used it. It, um, has character?"

"Lying is unbecoming, princess. Don't worry, I hate this place," he reassured. "But I figured it'd be a good lesson for the future queen."

Oh. That almost made sense. Kurapika looked around once more at the thin, malnourished children, the angry-looking adults. The stench of disease and decay hung in the air.

"I never knew," she started, "that things were this bad."

She'd heard of Meteor City, of course. It was in many palace records, but it always seemed so far away. So distant. Removing oneself from it was simple. It was like reading a book. Having it in front of her was foreign. She never saw past the pretty parts of life.

Her fists clenched.

If she was going to be Queen, she was going to have to accept all parts of her kingdom. Accept all parts of reality.

"Tell me about it," she finally requested, facing away from the man, eyes focused on two kids kicking a can down the street.

"About what?"

"Your life here," she clarified.

For the first time, the older man looked surprised, but then he smiled slightly. "Not much to tell, really."

"Then, tell me what you can."

He raised an eyebrow at her insistence, as the two of them made their way into what looked like a restaurant.

"Very well, sit down." He gestured to a chair behind her. "What do you want to know?"

She sat down a little cautiously. What? The chair was rickety. The girl leaned her chin on her hand, and pondered his question.

"How are you educated here? I know about the system from books, but I'm not sure if I believe them."

"The system's real," he said, a bit bitterly, as he watched a few kids run out the door with wallets in their hands. "Only a select few are allowed an education. They have to show intelligence and potential. Enough to verify their possible future standing as council members."

' "And there's no other way for them to get an education?" Kurapika asked, her fingers tapping against the drab wooden table.

"The council makes sure of it."

Kurapika sighed. She couldn't imagine a life without education, without books and scrolls and libraries filled with both. The first thing she would do as Queen was make sure every city had a public library.

"They'd probably be more interested in selling school supplies than actually using them," Chrollo suddenly cut in. So, he was a psychic now, too?

"Is the crime rate really as high as they say?"

Chrollo smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Higher. You realize you were just robbed a few seconds ago."

"Hmm? Oh, that. Yeah, I figured they needed it more than me, anyway." Of course, she'd noticed the two little redheads. Their pickpocketing prowess was rather shoddy.

"You're not doing them any favors through kindness. They should learn from their mistakes," Chrollo lectured her. She supposed it made sense in context. When you took circumstances into account, then perhaps helping was the worst thing she could do. Still . . .

"Isn't that the kind of attitude that keeps this town from moving forward?"

He didn't get to answer, because right at that moment a small yelp captured Kurapika's attention.

A young, plain-looking woman had a grubby fist wrapped around her wrist.

Oh, bloody hell.

"Pl-please let me go?" the woman asked, a slight tremor to her voice. The poor girl was terrified. Kurapika suddenly felt a pang of sympathy. She had her own share of encounters with creeps.

"I thought you were here to serve us?" one of the men jeered, leaning down to her eye level. He cupped her face and forced her to look up. "Mousy little thing, aren't you. Pretty cute, though."

"Kurapika," Chrollo's voice warned, but the woman was already standing up and walking over to the scene.

"Gentlemen, please," she started, politely, though her tone truly couldn't be colder. "Let the poor girl go."

"Ooh, lookie here, little laddie wants to defend the maiden's honor," one of the men mocked. "Caught yer eye, did she?"

Laddie? Oh, right, she was in her servant's attire. At least, she wouldn't be hit on instead. She much preferred being mistaken for a man than being flirted with.

"Tell you what, laddie," the man said. He trekked over to the wall with a slightly drunken limp to his walk, and pulled out several of the knives pinned to the two crude, painted targets. "Ya beat me at throwing knives, you can 'ave 'er."

Scum. She'd use them to wipe the floor with! No, that was too lenient. She'd just bury them six feet under. Wait, no, killing citizens was illegal here. Well then, she'd just have to burn him afterward.

Her pale fingers wrapped around the grimy knife, her glare never wavering for even a second. She faced the target, anger bubbling within her like a boiling kettle. Her head forced her to remain calm.

The man went first. His technique was clearly wobbly, as she'd expected. He landed two rings outside of the bull's eye, but seemed pleased with himself anyway.

"Top that, pretty boy," he challenged. She smiled, sweetly, telling herself that ripping off his head here would leave too many witnesses and wouldn't be good for her soul. He wasn't worth it.

So, she aimed, arm out, and flicked her wrist just enough to land in the bull's eye. The man's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly withdrew the expression in favor of amusement. He was looking down on her. Thinking it was simply beginner's luck. Lovely, even when she was dressed up as a man, people thought she was weak. Gender had nothing to do with it in the end. Maybe if she was a little bit taller. A bit more muscular.

"Color me impressed, lil' laddie," he praised, almost sounding like a teacher complimenting his student on a particularly well-written essay.

"Stop talking," she said, voice ice-cold with a strange fire burning beneath the words. "You're wasting my time."

The man scowled an ugly snarl, but she ignored it. The game of politics: Don't acknowledge the other opponent unless it was to tear their argument apart. He drew his drunken hand back and aimed. The knife landed three rings outside this time.

A few minutes later, one target had ten daggers scattered all over it. The other had them gathered in a neat circle in the bull's eye.

The man laughed at his loss, half-hysterical, half-genuine. When he finally got a hold of himself, he turned to his men. "Let the girl go, boys. He's won her fair in square."

His cronies frowned, but reluctantly released the numb girl, who promptly fell to her knees in typical damsel manner.

"Let's go," the man announced, heading for the door. "There's nothing for us here."

"But . . . boss," one of the men said.

"Now, Lis," the leader ordered. The men followed him out with quiet resignation on their faces. One of them hadn't given up, however.

"Tsk, as if, bastard!" A particularly chubby man lunged at her, with a knife in hand and a gruesome scar on his face. Kurapika readied herself to dodge, but then the man crumpled onto the floor in front of her, only to reveal the same 'mousy' little girl standing behind him with a chair in her trembling hands.

An arm came to wrap around Kurapika's shoulders. Chrollo.

Where was he twenty minutes ago when she needed his help?!

"Well, gentlemen. It seems it's time for you to depart. Please take your friend with you. He's truly an eyesore on Madame Morgaine's floors."

"Chrollo Lucilfer," the man suddenly murmured, fearfully. Then, he snapped out of his daze and snapped his fingers. Two of the men stepped forward to pick up their fallen comrade. "Sorry, sir. It won 'appen again, sir."

In a flurry of terrified apologies and anxious, jagged movements. Kurapika watched them in confusion.

"I'm a council member, technically. Most people around here are scared of getting on our bad side," Chrollo informed, helpfully, giving her shoulder a last small squeeze before letting go. Kurapika's lips formed a thin line. She wasn't buying it.

"I . . ." a voice interrupted them. They turned to the not-so-mousy girl. Her voice came out in a meek, quiet tone. "I can't believe I done that."

"Therapeutic, isn't it?" Kurapika said, softly, a reassuring smile blooming on her pretty face.

"Yes," the girl said, a small giggle falling out of her lips, "yes, it is."

A bark and the sound of scampering feet over wooden planks, and Shadow suddenly appeared next to Kurapika. Then, he turned to the other girl, then to Kurapika, looking thoroughly confused. A few seconds passed of him looking between the two girls before his tail started swaying happily. He jumped into the other girl's lap and licked her cheek. She giggled and pat his head, to which he responded with more tail-wagging and a look at Kurapika and Chrollo that clearly said _"look guys! I've got a new friend/follower!"_

. . .

"You keep surprising me," Chrollo whispered, as the newly four of them walked through town. Kurapika had wanted to meet up with the city council, and talk about renovations and such. Chrollo thought it was wishful thinking, but Kurapika thought Chrollo was easily the most pessimistic person she'd ever met. The two of them were walking a little away from the emerald-eyed girl and Shadow.

"What? Just because I'm sheltered doesn't mean I'm an idiot."

"Oh no, that was still an idiotic thing to do. I just didn't expect a princess such as yourself to know how to throw knives," he clarified, unhelpfully. Kurapika gave him a deadpan look. He really was pushing it today. He was far more charming yesterday.

"I didn't know how," the blonde replied. The man gave her a confused glance, and the woman smirked. Well, finally, she wasn't the one getting her mind blown. "I'm a fast learner."

They continued walking in silence for a few minutes, but then Kurapika noticed something amiss among their little group.

"I don't know your name," she said, turning to the other ash-blonde girl. Her hair could almost be mistaken for white. Green eyes widened, and fidgety hands went down to play with the filthy brown fabric of her ratty dress.

"S-S-Sapphire," she answered, quietly.

"Sapphire?" she repeated. "That's pretty."

The girl looked up, eyes the size of saucers before they crinkled up in response to her toothy grin. "Thank you!"

The two girls smiled at each other for a moment, sharing a short few seconds of platonic connection.

"Oh," the girl suddenly spoke again, "what your name be, Miss?"

"My name? You can call me Kura for now," she paused. "You knew I was a woman."

"I did, Miss, no man be as pretty as you. That be when I knew you were a lass."

So, she was at least of average intelligence. What did it take for someone to get an education around here?

Kurapika glanced at Chrollo. He was part of the council, apparently. How smart was he? Either way, it was unjust to deny a child their education based on something as intangible as intelligence. Intelligence came in many different forms. Gon came to mind. As dense as he could be, he had his own brand of smarts that helped him get out of tough situations.

That council was getting a piece of her royal mind!

"Miss Kura be looking mighty angry," she heard Sapphire whisper.

"Don't worry. Her bark's worse than her bite," Chrollo reassured. Sapphire blushed ever-so-slightly though Kurapika didn't notice and Chrollo probably didn't care.

"I'm right here, you know!" Kurapika scolded them.

. . .

"He be so handsome," Sapphire said, now deciding to stick to Kurapika like a child would to a mother. "You a lucky miss. Though, he be lucky to have such a strong lady such as yerself."

What? Oh. There was no way she actually thought . . .

"We're not together in any way, shape, or form," Kurapika said, waving her hands dismissively. "He's just sort of like my tour guide, you could say. Besides, I'm . . . previously attached."

"You sound disappointed, Missy," Sapphire noted, looking positively mischievous now, such a contrast to the shy girl they'd first met.

"No, I'm just still getting used to the fact that pretty soon my entire life will change, and I'll probably have even less freedom than before," she said, going off on a bit of a tangent as she often did when she got nervous or worried.

"Your man be so bad?" Sapphire asked, a little concerned.

"Well, no, but I really would prefer not being forced to marry anyone at all," Kurapika replied. Lavian, while fun and sweet and everything a normal girl could want, just wasn't the type of person she'd willingly spend the rest of her life with. And then there was the business of making heirs. Kurapika would much prefer to just adopt a child, or let one of her family members take over after she's dead. Unfortunately, someone that didn't have royal blood couldn't rule, and letting her family members fight for it would be troublesome. She had no interest in starting a war for the throne.

"You okay, miss?" Sapphire asked, placing one calloused hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm . . . fine."

Sapphire gave her a look that said _you're-not-fooling-me-darling-but-Ima-let-you-keep- your-stupid-secrets._

"Here we are. The council hall," Chrollo announced, gesturing to a off-white building that seemed ready to crumble apart at any second.

"You really have no funds going into this place, do you?"

"No."

. . .

"Rejected," the old man sitting on a rickety, throne-like chair said, looking down on her like she was some simpleton.

"And why is that?" Kurapika asked, hands on her hips and a defiant look in her eyes. Their voices echoed of the old, stone walls. The main council room was simply furnished with a round table and chairs gather in a circle around it. One navy tapestry hung from the furthest wall.

"It's unreasonable," one of the other members replied, steepling his fingers and fixing her with a dead look. "An education for every child is too far out of our reach at the moment. For now, we have to deal with an outbreak of Chima's disease. It's already taken thirteen people's lives. More are on their way."

"Chima's disease has a cure. If you're so worried, maybe you should fix the healthcare system?"

"Impossible."

"If you keep saying that, then nothing will change!" Kurapika said, anger clearly visible on her pale face, the blood rushing to her cheeks and turning them a furious shade of red.

"You've been in our city for a day. Your conclusions are the result of a few hours' worth of observation," the head of the council continued.

"The fact that I can see that you're neglecting to take care of your citizens in less than a day is proof enough that something has to be done," Kurapika replied, she breathed in through her nose and closed her eyes. "All I'm saying, is that you should at least accept some outside help."

"We have our own sources, your highness. We are in no need of your parents' help," the head said once more.

"Well, those sources clearly aren't doing the trick," Kurapika replied, voice frigid. "Perhaps, you need to try a different approach."

"I've had enough of this," the old man announced. "Lucilfer, remove her at once."

Remove!?

She felt a gentle hand circle around her slender arm, and Chrollo whispered for her to give up and come with him. The blonde followed him out, reluctantly.

. . .

"That stubborn old geezer," Kurapika muttered as she stormed out of the Council Hall. Sapphire gave her a confused look, but she ignored her. The royal Kurta had no intention of snapping at the poor girl, and her anger was too unpredictable right now. Besides, Chrollo was sure to fill her in.

"Kurapika," a baritone voice called after her. The man caught up with the Kurta easily. "Wait."

"Hell no."

"Well, where are you going?" he asked, exasperatedly.

"Home. To talk with my parents," she answered, clearly irked. Her fury seemed to only be growing with every second she went further down the street, and further past struggling people on the streets.

She bit her lip in anger, almost drawing blood. Impossible? They were just too scared to try. She'd use force if she had to, but they were going to agree to her plans.

"Kurapika." He suddenly took hold of her elbow and spun her around. His hands travelled up to caress her face. "Stop. How do you think your parents will react if they find you went to the biggest slum in the Kingdom behind their backs?"

For a few tense seconds, the Kurta didn't reply. Her body tense and angry, her gaze dark and determined. But then, her shoulders went limp and her weight shifted to her right leg, and the girl's face was no longer furious but resigned. Though, a small fire still burned in those black-covered eyes. "They'd never let me out of their sight again."

"Is that what you want?" he asked, and the question burned in her ears. Of course not. But . . . this wasn't about what she wanted. She got everything else. What was her freedom when compared to a few million lives?

"It's worth it if I can help them somehow," she whispered. Chrollo's face broke into a warm, sad smile, and his thumb traced the line of her cheekbone.

"A day in a slum like this, and you're ready to give up your ticket to the outside world. You'll be handing out money left and right when you're Queen, princess," he whispered, placing his forehead on hers. Kurapika permitted the blood to rush to her face for a few seconds. He was so close. His lips barely an inch away, and he looked so warm in contrast to the cold night air. And she should really be pushing him away right about now.

Someone behind them cleared their throat, and Chrollo finally broke away from her, leading her to do the same. And whatever moment they shared fell away into the abyss and locked up until further notice.

"In any case," Chrollo started again. "Nothing will change their minds so don't bother."

Kurapika frowned. Didn't she just say that she'd do whatever it took to help this place? "Then, we'll just replace them."

"You really think anyone else would want to take on the highest crime rate in the country? Not to mention the health care and education systems are beyond saving."

"Nothing is beyond saving," Kurapika countered. "It's just that not many people can find the patience to save it."

"Poetic."

"I try."

He smiled, and then started walking again. Once he was out of hearing distance, Sapphire leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Not together, 'ey?" she teased. "You looked mighty close from where I be standing."

"We are not together," Kurapika hissed, but the girl continued smiling devilishly.

"Why so shy? Mr. Lucilfer be one hell of a catch," the girl asked, innocently, linking their arms.

"Previously attached," Kurapika reminded, looking away from those soulful green eyes. She wasn't about to agree to this madness.

"Really, I don't see no ring," Sapphire continued, inspecting the other girl's fingers while pushing some pale ash-blonde hair out of her freckled face.

"It's complicated."

"Too complicated. Men like Mr. Lucilfer take what they want," Sapphire said, still smiling like the little demon child she is.

"That is far from reassuring," Kurapika commented, monotonously. Wasn't this girl almost sold a few hours ago? The hell is wrong with her?

"I suppose, but you clearly don't want to be attached. What's holding ye back?" she asked. "Why is it so important you get married to this lad?"

"It's just . . ." that he was better than everyone else who'd come to her doorstep, that was for sure.

"C'mon, you be a strong, independent woman, yes? I mean you be playing politics and saving damsels and you only been here for, what, five hours?"

It was because of politics that she had to get married!

Ah, whatever.

. . .

"So . . ." Chrollo started.

"So?" Kurapika repeated, looking at him quizzically, wondering what he still wanted to talk about this close to the palace. They'd had to leave Sapphire at the border, because apparently Meteor City residents aren't allowed outside of the city limits. Yet another thing that had to change.

"You're previously attached?" he asked, disbelieving.

"What's so surprising about that?"

"You don't want to be, though," he followed up, ignoring her question, as they walked under a starlit sky.

A pause and a slight shake of the head, long golden locks following her motion.

"Didn't expect you to be the type to allow someone else to play such a large role in her future." Chrollo shrugged like it was the simplest thing ever. Like he hadn't just insulted her.

"Sorry I didn't live up to your expectations," she scoffed, walking forward without him. "See you around."

"Bye. Don't tell your parents."

She rolled her eyes. After almost half an hour of arguing, he'd finally convinced her to keep her mouth shut. Which was mildly impressive, because Kurapika usually back down so easily.

. . .

"Where have you been?" Lavian asked, standing in the doorway. "You look terrible."

"Shut up," she ordered, before slamming the door behind her. Unfortunately, she didn't lock it, and the man simply walked in after her.

"Kurapika. Are you alright?" he asked, cautiously.

"I'm fine," she muttered, as she walked into the bathroom with a nightgown in hand. "Get out of my room."

"No way. Not until you tell me what's wrong," he answered, making it perfectly clear that he wasn't going to back down, no matter how scary his blonde friends got.

Kurapika grimaced and got the shower going, maybe the noise would give him a hint. She stepped under the cold water, and leaned her head against the wall while the water slid down her. That man seemed to leave her with a bad mood no matter what happened. She felt a bit guilty that she forced Lavian to bare the consequences, but there was no helping it. He shouldn't have come into the crossfire.

The cool fabric of her blue nightgown fell into place, the feel of silk embarrassingly welcome compared to the scratchy cloth of her servant's attire. She really was spoiled. There were kids starving out there, and here she lay in her fancy castle surrounded by silks and satins and grand dinners. All because she was born into it.

Perhaps, she was overthinking all this?

"You really need to start trusting me," Lavian said as she came out of the washroom.

"I thought I told you to leave," she replied, coldly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I decided not to."

She walked around him and fell onto the bed. Sighing in relief, she curled up on her side. Her muscles ached for sleep, and her eyes instinctively closed.

"Look, I don't need you to tell me now, or at all, really. All I ask is that you trust me. I mean, we're kind of rule a country someday," he said, trying to sound sympathetic, but all it served to do was anger Kurapika further. The man placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, but she brushed it off and buried herself beneath her comforter.

The man sighed tiredly, and Kurapika felt nothing. He shouldn't be so sure of himself. The country they would rule? It was like he already started planning everything. Just because she agreed not to be too difficult.

Men. They thought they could just reach their own conclusions without consulting her first. This was why she didn't want to get married.

. . .

"Kurapika! Kurapika!" her mother's voice reached her, but she couldn't be bothered to get up. "Kurapika?"

Footsteps drew closer to her bed. Next thing she knew, a cool hand was placed on her forehead.

"Kurapika . . . you're burning up."

. . .

 **Next:**

 **Dangers and Love**

 **Question of the Day: How's the chemistry between Chrollo and Kurapika?**

 **~Replies to Reviewers~**

 **SernaJ: Point for Shadow. Thanks for reviewing : )**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Point for Shadow and Hisoka. I hope you grow to like Chrollo and Kurapika more. Kurapika's mostly just a genius for now, but she'll eventually be forced to take up a more action-y role. That's all I'm saying. And Shadow is partly based on Meeko from Pocahontas. At least, in my head, he is. Also, there's more to Chrollo than meets the eye.**

 **~End Of Replies~**

 **BTW, once I'm done with PatT, I'll probably move on to requests.**


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